Savannah Gankiewicz represented her home state of Hawaii at the Miss USA 2023 pageant. Courtesy of Miss USA/Instagram
Savannah Gankiewicz is officially the new Miss USA.
Gankiewicz, 28, was crowned in a ceremony on Wednesday, May 15, at Hawaii’s Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach. She replaces her predecessor, Noelia Voigt, who gave up her crown earlier this month to focus on her mental health.
Gankiewicz, a model and nonprofit leader from Maui, will serve out the remainder of Voigt’s reign, holding her Miss USA title through August.
“I am so shocked right now and I’m just so tremendously grateful,” Ganziewicz said at her Honolulu crowning, according to Entertainment Tonight. “While this decision was not made lightly, I firmly believe that this opportunity was meant for me and I’m ready to make a positive impact with this organization that I hold dear to my heart.”
Gankiewicz had been Voigt’s runner-up in the Miss USA 2023 contest last September. She revealed her promotion via Instagram last week, writing, “Please know that my decision to accept the Miss USA crown was not one that was made lightly. I stand with Noelia and admire her strength to step down and prioritize her mental health. Noelia, it was the honor of a lifetime to share the stage with you during your crowning moment and I wish you all the best in your next chapter.”
On May 6, Voigt, 24, announced that she was relinquishing her post.
“In life, I strongly value the importance of making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health,” she said in a statement on Instagram. “As individuals, we grow through experiencing different things in life that lead us to learning more about ourselves.”
With her victory, Voigt became the pageant’s Venezuelan-American winner. Two months later, she represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2023 competition in El Salvador.
Two days after Voigt resigned, Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava issued a resignation notice of her own. She stated on Instagram that “personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.”
On Tuesday, May 14, Good Morning America aired a joint interview with Voigt and Srivastava’s mothers, who claimed that the Miss USA organization had created a toxic working environment for their daughters. Jackeline Voigt recalled that Noelia was “stressed” after receiving unwanted advances at a Christmas parade, and Barbara Srivastava claimed that Miss Teen USA management had bullied UmaSofia and controlled her social media account.
“I want to be clear, it’s not about what they didn’t get, about the prizes. It’s about how they were ill-treated, abused, bullied, and cornered,” Barbara told GMA, noting, “The job of their dreams turned out to be a nightmare.”
In a statement to ABC News, 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.”
