Savannah Gankiewicz accepted the Miss
USA 2023 crown on Thursday, while stating that she admires Noelia
Voigt's decision to step down.
Miss Hawaii USA Savannah Gankiewicz has been named Miss USA 2023 following Noelia Voigt's resignation earlier this week.
"I
fully support and respect Noelia's decision to step down, and I stand
in solidarity with mental health awareness," Gankiewicz, 28, said in a
statement shared to the Miss USA website on
Thursday. "I accept the crown knowing that I have been uplifted by my
supporters, family, friends, and the people of Hawaii throughout this
journey. I accept this title on their behalf."
On her
own Instagram page, Gankiewicz shared a longer message about her
decision to accept the crown and her support for Voigt, who announced on
Monday that she would be stepping down from her post in order to prioritize her mental health.
"Please
know that my decision to accept the Miss USA crown was not one that was
made lightly," wrote Gankiewicz, who will be crowned on Wednesday, May
15. "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 will you all
the best in your next chapter."
"With the little time I have as Miss USA, it is my intention to
bring attention and focus onto the rebuilding of Lahaina on my island of
Maui," she added. "I also look forward to helping the 2024 delegates
transition into a new era of Miss USA."
Following Voigt's announcement -- as well as the resignation of Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava days
later -- dozens of her fellow 2023 Miss USA competitors shared a joint
statement to social media, declaring that they supported her decision to
resign and calling on the Miss USA organization to release her from any
nondisclosure agreement that might be preventing her from sharing more
of her story.
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Gankiewicz did not share the post, but ET spoke with one queen who did: Miss Nevada 2023 Josie Nicole Stephens.
"I think the most important thing is transparency --
transparency on both sides," Stephens explained of the message she and
her fellow competitors wanted to send with their posts. "I want to hear
from the organization. I want to hear their story, as well as [allow]
Noelia and UmaSofia the option to tell their story."
"We
need full transparency, especially for the women who are to come after
us," she continued. "They need to know what exactly they’re putting
themselves, the situation that they’re putting themselves into."