Miss USA CEO Laylah Rose Addresses Rumors of Her Replacement by Pageant

Miss USA CEO Laylah Rose is speaking out amid reports that the pageant has replaced her in her role as CEO of the pageant.

After pageant coach and judge Thom Brodeur announced Thursday on Instagram that he would be acquiring the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA brands and referred to himself as the organization’s chairman, president and CEO, Rose, who has been the president and CEO of both brands since 2023, refuted the claim.

In a message posted jointly to the official Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Instagram accounts on Sept. 8, Rose seemingly denied Brodeur’s claims, beginning her message with, “We do not engage with every rumor or piece of hearsay. Instead, we focus on verified information and constructive dialogue to ensure clarity and trust.”

She continued on, affirming that she remained the current license owner of the Miss USA organization, writing that she had not” been contacted nor have I seen any new contracts regarding any transfer of ownership.”

Finishing up her statement, Rose wrote, “It is our sincere expectation that if changes in ownership or leadership ever occur, they will be communicated appropriately, properly, and directly to all stakeholders, safeguarding the legacy and future of these historic organizations.”

On Sept. 8, the Miss USA website was also down, featuring a message reading, “Maintenance mode is on.”

In his Instagram post last week, Brodeur wrote that he had “officially acquired Miss USA®️ and Miss Teen USA®️.”

Continuing on, he alleged that he had received a 10-year exclusive license to the brand and that he was ready to “modernize, revitalize, and reignite two of the most iconic brands in American pageantry.”

In a statement to PEOPLE about Rose’s post, Brodeur states, “We’re looking forward to official communications from the Miss Universe organization on the matters.”

PEOPLE reached out to representatives for Rose and the Miss USA organization for comment.

This is not the first time that controversy has arisen during Rose’s tenure at the organization. Shortly after Rose took the helm at the pageant, both Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava relinquished their titles.

The occurrence marked the first time that a queen had given up her crown in the pageant’s 72-year history.

At the time, NBC News obtained a copy of Noelia’s resignation letter and reported that Voight accused the pageant’s CEO Laylah Rose of creating a toxic workplace after Voigt told her she was sexually harassed at a Christmas event.

Rose denied the allegations at the time in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “We are very disappointed to hear the recent false allegations made by individuals speaking on behalf of our former titleholder,” she said.

“The allegations of sexual harassment, toxic environment and bullying are not true,” Rose’s statement continued. “To be clear, such behavior is not accepted, and we can assure you that if such behavior ever occurred, we would take immediate steps to protect our titleholder and provide access to appropriate resources.”