Miss North Carolina Stripped Of Title Over Racist Remarks
The Miss USA Organization said they condemn “racism, homophobia, transphobia.”
The Miss USA Organization is taking a firm stance against “racism, homophobia, transphobia” after stripping Miss North Carolina USA 2026, Brittany Boltinhouse, of her title.
The decision was announced on Wednesday via statements from both Thom Brodeur, the chairman and CEO of Miss USA, and A Blaize Productions, the company that runs the North Carolina pageant.
“This decision was not made lightly,” reads the statement from A Blaize Productions, shared to Instagram. “It followed a thorough review of recently surfaced information and was based on the totality of the circumstances and our responsibility to preserve the integrity of the Miss North Carolina USA title and the values of our organization.”
While pageant organizers declined to point to the specific issues that led to Boltinhouse’s dethroning, The NC Beat reported that old social media posts from 2017-2019 in which Boltinhouse used the N-word and urged people to vote for Donald Trump over Kamala Harris in the 2024 election had created controversy surrounding her win.
“The Miss USA Organization does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia nor language that strips any person of their dignity—whoever they are,” said Brodeur. “That is not a policy written for a press release. It is the floor of what it means to represent this brand.”
It is unclear whether there were additional posts from Boltinhouse that prompted mention of homophobia and transphobia.
After earning the title of Miss North Carolina 2026 in June, Boltinhouse was originally expected to compete in the 75th annual Miss USA pageant in Miami later this month. First runner-up Myla Hadley will now take her place in the competition.
“I understand the seriousness and level of prestige that this title carries, and I can confidently say that both my team and I are ready to take this on,” Hadley shared via Instagram stories. “While this may seem like a two-week turnaround given the circumstances, I’ve been preparing to represent at Miss USA since I first competed with this organization. I am ready to represent North Carolina.”
Boltinhouse has not yet commented publicly on the situation.
