Olivia Yacé Resigns from Miss Universe

Some announcements don’t arrive loudly; they arrive with a kind of steady conviction that tells you the decision has been sitting in the heart for a while. That was the feeling surrounding Olivia Yacé’s message to the world today, as the Ivorian beauty queen revealed she is stepping away from her Miss Universe Africa & Oceania title — a crown she earned after placing 4th Runner-Up at Miss Universe 2025, and one many believed marked the beginning of a new chapter for African representation on the global stage.

Her update came through an Instagram statement, thoughtful in tone and unmistakably rooted in personal clarity. She spoke about what the competition taught her, how it pushed her, and why continuing the journey meant staying aligned with the values she carries like quiet armour: respect, dignity, excellence, and equal opportunity. Values she says must remain intact if she is to keep walking with intention.

She wrote about discovering her own resilience in Bangkok, about learning she was capable of more than people expected of her, and about the quiet but essential discipline of choosing the self you want to honour — even when it means stepping away from a title that millions celebrated.

With the same grace that shaped her Miss Universe run, she announced her resignation from both the Africa & Oceania title and any future affiliation with the Miss Universe Committee. No bitterness, no spectacle, just the softness of someone choosing their principles over a platform.

Olivia revisited the purpose she shared during the Q&A round, reminding us that her mission has always been bigger than a crown. She spoke again of wanting to be a model for young girls, a reminder that confidence is not loudness but presence, and that stepping into rooms where you feel uninvited is sometimes the most necessary thing a woman can do.

Her message expanded beyond pageantry into something communal, calling on Black, African, Caribbean, American, and Afro-descendant communities to keep moving into the spaces history once tried to close off. “Our presence matters, and our voices must be heard,” she wrote — a sentence that felt less like commentary and more like a gentle command.

Credit: Instagram

Olivia closed her statement with congratulations to the new Miss Universe, warm regards to Miss Universe Jamaica, and gratitude to those who have supported her. And then, almost like a whisper turning into a promise, she signed off with: “It’s time for Africa.”