Former Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt was the subject of inappropriate advances by the driver of the car she was travelling in during a Christmas parade in Florida, a report in The Independent has said citing sources.
Last week, Noelia Voigt resigned from her title amid allegations of toxic working conditions within the Miss USA organization. She felt she “couldn’t escape” the vehicle and her designated handler didn’t intervene.
Since 1952, Miss USA has been held annually with the winner holding the title for a year, participating in charity and media events and raising awareness for her chosen cause. She also becomes the American candidate for the annual Miss Universe pageant.
Having signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the beauty pageant organization, 24-year-old Voight has not been able to comment on the alleged incident.
Citing two sources close to the matter, the report further states that she informed them about the incident and raised concern about the level of support given to the contest winners.
Ex-Miss USA Noelia Voigt Subjected to ‘Inappropriate Advances’ by Driver?
The incident occurred during a Christmas parade in December 2023 in Sarasota, Florida, while Voigt was sitting in the back seat of the car, according to the report.
Claudia Michelle, who is a former social media director for Miss USA and a friend of Voigt, said the driver was an older man who made “really inappropriate advances.”
“He was saying, how he was older and he had money, that kind of thing,” Ms Michelle, who is not bound by an NDA, told The Independent on Wednesday.
She further said the driver implied he wanted a relationship with the beauty queen, which made her uncomfortable.
“She literally couldn’t escape it. What was she going to do, step out of the car and walk away in the middle of the parade? She was stuck,” Ms Michelle added.
Ms Michelle also resigned from her position at Miss USA citing mismanagement and disrespect toward the families of the title holders. She said Voigt’s security was inadequate at the Florida parade and on several other occasions.
“The role of the handler in the pageant world is to almost be like a bodyguard in the sense where they’re the eyes, ears and voice for Noelia – to kind of speak up,” she said.
“It would have been in that handler’s best interest to speak up and say something, you know, ‘that’s not appropriate, that’s not okay,’ right then and there, and squash it out.”
Fortunately, the Sarasota incident was isolated, although Voigt and her family had previously expressed concern about her mismanagement, Michelle said.
Meanwhile, in a statement to ABC News’Good Morning America, a representative for the Miss USA Organization said: “We are committed to fostering a healthy, communicative and supportive environment for all contestants, state titleholders, national titleholders and staff.”