Miss USA Savannah Gankiewicz says her predecessor cautioned her that wearing the crown feels like signing a contract with the devil. It seems being a world-famous beauty queen comes with a hell of a catch...
In May, Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava, both crowned in August 2023, surprised fans by resigning from their titles just two days apart. Shortly thereafter, Gankiewicz, who was Miss Hawaii 2023 and the first runner-up to Miss USA, accepted the title during a ceremony in Waikiki, Hawaii. She was crowned by Governor Dr. Josh Green.
The resignations of Voigt and Srivastava have ignited considerable speculation. Voigt announced her departure on Instagram on May 6, citing "mental health" as her reason. In contrast, Srivastava offered a more direct explanation for her resignation, stating that her personal values no longer align with the organization's direction.
Savannah Gankiewicz Recalls Feeling Uneasy About Taking the Miss USA Crown
Understandably, Gankiewicz shared that she initially felt conflicted about taking on the title of Miss USA.
"There are two sides to every story," she recently told Fox News. "One side was telling me not to take it. The other side was like, 'Go for it. As first runner-up, this is your duty.' And they say that on the national stage — if the winner cannot fulfill her duties, the first runner-up takes the opportunity."
She added, "So I just remember saying, 'This is exactly like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.' I have to take it and really have to see for myself what's going on with the Miss USA organization and just see for myself if there were any of those allegations that were true."
The Former Miss USA Compares Wearing the Crown to Courting the Devil
However, one person in particular allegedly tried to urge Gankiewicz not to take the crown. Miss USA Noelia Voigt herself.
Gankiewicz stated that during her time in Bali, she received a call from Voigt, who reportedly tried to dissuade her from pursuing the Miss USA title.
"She was basically saying, 'Don't. I can't tell you what to do, but don't do it because you'll sign your soul to the devil,'" Gankiewicz claimed.
"And I'm over here, 'Like what? Sign your soul to the devil," Gankiewicz recalled. "Was it that bad?' And she's like, 'I can't tell you. I have an NDA. I basically signed my rights away for life. And I'm like, 'Really? So I was hearing that."
Gakiewicz revealed that after she ultimately accepted the title of Miss USA 2023, Voigt unfollowed and blocked her on social media. She also alleges that she received messages from Srivastava.
"'Don't take it, but we can't tell you what to do,'" Gakiewicz alleges Srivastava texted her.
"And then she ended up unfollowing me as well," Gankiewicz claims. "I'm like, 'What did I do?' It's just, you know, it's a pageant, it's a job. And I'm just fulfilling a job role that she couldn't."
Gankiewicz reflected on Voigt's warnings, suggesting they were part of a pressure campaign from her predecessor's supporters to prevent any replacement for the Miss USA title.
"When I really think about it, I honestly feel like there was that whole team behind her that just didn't want anyone to take the title," Gankiewicz explained. "I even was getting messages [like] 'Don't take the title' from these pageant bloggers who were obviously Team Noelia."
"The pageant fans are no joke," she quipped. "They either love you or hate you, right? There's nothing in the middle."
