Nia Sanchez is supporting her Miss USA sisters.
Shortly after Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava relinquished their crowns, ET spoke with the 2014 title holder, who expressed her support for both women.
Voigt’s resignation came first, with the former Miss Utah writing in part on Instagram: “In life, I strongly value the importance of making decisions that are best for you and your mental health. to learn more about ourselves… Unfortunately, I have made the difficult decision to relinquish the title of Miss USA 2023.”
Sanchez was quick to show public support for Voigt, noting, “I can only imagine what’s going on with Noelia to get to the point where she needs to step down as Miss USA… Sending lots of love to our Latina queen and wishing her the best of luck on your next venture.” It’s a sentiment Sanchez reiterated when speaking to ET.
“I know Noelia. She’s like a sister queen in many ways to me… I feel a very close connection with her,” Sanchez said. “I’ve been able to support her throughout her years (at) Miss USA so far. I know, especially the last few months, it’s been a little harder than she expected. I’m happy to do this. I’m definitely here to help you.”
Although the women have been texting each other since Voigt announced the news, they have yet to have an in-depth conversation about their decision.
“She is an incredibly strong woman,” praised Sanchez. “I think it was a very powerful statement to make and something that must have taken a lot of strength to make, to walk away from her dream. Being Miss USA has been her dream for years and it’s something she finally achieved, so to really focus on her mental health and be able to step away to focus on that, I’m really proud of her.”
After Voigt’s resignation, Miss USA announced on Thursday that Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz will now serve as Miss USA 2023.
“I’m happy for her at the end of the day. I’m Miss USA, she’s a new Miss USA, so I’m excited to welcome her into the sisterhood,” Sanchez said. “It’s such a hard time that this is happening. I also feel for her because she’s already getting a lot of negative comments. I’m here for her as a support system because I know being Miss USA can be difficult, whether it’s a year or three months.” .”
Then there is Srivastava, who resigned as Miss Teen USA just days after Voigt renounced the crown.
“After careful consideration,” the 17-year incumbent wrote in part on Instagram, “I have decided to resign as I have discovered that my personal values are no longer fully aligned with the direction of the organization.”
Sanchez expressed his support for Srivastava following the news, telling ET, “I haven’t spoken to UmaSofia, but I’ve only seen her incredible strength.”
“(They) are standing up for where they are in their lives and doing what is absolutely best for them and that is the path they have taken,” she said of the two women. “It’s not easy. I can’t imagine how difficult it was to make the decision to walk away from your dream job and I’m so proud of their strength.”
As for what may have led the women to resign from their positions, Sanchez, who now stars on the Bravo show The valleyreflected on her time as Miss USA.
“I always tell people it’s some of the highest highs and lows,” Sanchez recalled. “I describe it as a rollercoaster because although it’s an incredible year and a great honor – there are so many wonderful things you can do and organizations you can speak for – there are also down times.”
“I actually first experienced depression during my years as Miss USA,” she added, before explaining that the difficult times were the result of many things.
“I felt sad and overwhelmed. I think it had to do with several factors — being in a different state, not being close to my family or friends, being on call 24/7,” she said. “…It’s also hard to always have to turn it on and be camera-ready no matter what you’re feeling inside, because the work must go on, the show must go on, you still have to keep doing your duty. “
Amid the challenging times, Sanchez praised Miss USA for the way the organization “fully supported our mental health” with a psychiatrist on call, but noted that at that time “there was a completely different organization running the program.”
“I assume the organization is gathering its thoughts and will make a statement soon,” Sanchez said. “I just hope that there is a lot of transparency and that, within the organization, they support the women who represent the organization in the best way possible. If that hasn’t been done, I hope changes are made.”
Sanchez added, “If there’s more behind the scenes that haven’t been discussed, I hope they can share those things later because no one will really know what her year as Miss USA and Miss Teen USA was like unless they can’t tell on their own. name… I hope their year isn’t one to keep quiet about.”
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