Brittany Boltinhouse has been stripped of her Miss North Carolina USA 2026 title just over a month after being crowned, with the Miss USA Organisation declaring that racism, homophobia and transphobia have no place within the pageant.
The decision was announced on Wednesday, 5 August, weeks before Boltinhouse was due to represent North Carolina at the 75th Miss USA competition in Miami. She had won the state title on 28 June.
In a statement, Miss USA chairman and CEO Thom Brodeur said the decision followed a review of “recently surfaced information” and discussions involving Boltinhouse, her state directors and the national organisation.
“Miss USA does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia, nor language that strips any person of their dignity — whoever they are,” Brodeur said.
“That is not a policy written for a press release, it is the floor of what it means to represent this brand.
“A title here isn’t a trinket. It is a position of trust, extended by an organisation and accepted by a woman who agrees to carry a standard in public. When that standard is broken, the title cannot continue as though nothing happened.”
The Miss USA Organisation has not publicly detailed all of the material that led to Boltinhouse losing her crown.
However, media reports have pointed to alleged historic social-media posts attributed to Boltinhouse containing racist language. The organisation itself has stopped short of publicly specifying the individual conduct involved or saying that Boltinhouse personally made homophobic or transphobic statements.
‘Conduct over an extended period of time’
Brodeur stressed that the decision was not based on one isolated incident.
“What was brought to us was not a single moment,” he said. “It reflected conduct over an extended period of time. That is why this outcome was reached, and I stand behind it without qualification.”
A Blaize Productions, which oversees the Miss North Carolina USA competition, also said the decision had followed a thorough review and “was not made lightly”.
Brodeur said Boltinhouse had prepared a statement addressing the controversy that included “ownership, accountability and apology”.
“While it does not undo the harm, and it does not change the outcome, it is the beginning of the only thing that ever repairs harm, which is change,” he said.
“I believe people can change. I have built my career on the conviction that young people are more than the worst thing they’ve done. I’m also quite aware that change is not a statement. It is a record. It is built over time, in the open, through conduct rather than apology alone.”
At the same time, Brodeur urged people not to respond to the controversy with cruelty, arguing that holding somebody accountable should not involve denying their humanity.
Myla Hadley takes over the crown
First runner-up Myla Hadley has now been promoted to Miss North Carolina USA 2026 and will represent the state at the national competition.
Brodeur said Hadley had the organisation’s “full confidence and our support”.
Miss USA’s 75th annual competition takes place in Miami from 24 to 27 August, with representatives from across the United States competing for the national crown.
Boltinhouse has since claimed that she believes her conservative Christian beliefs contributed to her removal. A Blaize Productions has rejected that assertion, saying the decision was not based on her political views or religious beliefs but followed a review of conduct and publicly available material spanning several years.
