Brittany Boltinhouse says her conservative Christian beliefs played a role, while pageant officials say her conduct failed to meet titleholder standards.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Former Miss North Carolina USA Brittany Boltinhouse is challenging the explanation surrounding her removal from the 2026 title, saying she believes her political and religious views played a role after pageant officials cited conduct that violated organizational standards.
Boltinhouse was removed as Miss North Carolina USA on Aug. 5, little more than a month after winning the state title on June 28. A Blaize Productions, which produces the North Carolina competition, said the decision followed a thorough review of recently surfaced information, multiple conversations and consultation with the Miss USA Organization. Pageant officials did not publicly provide a detailed investigative report or identify every piece of material they reviewed. First runner-up Myla Hadley has since assumed the title and is preparing to represent North Carolina at the Miss USA competition.
The dispute began after reports surfaced about social media posts allegedly connected to Boltinhouse. The North Carolina outlet NCBeat reported that posts made between 2017 and 2019 under the username “Sosa the Stallion” repeatedly used a racial slur and were linked to her. The state and national pageant organizations did not publicly authenticate each reported post or reproduce them in their announcements, but Miss USA Chairman and CEO Thom Brodeur said the conduct brought to the organization was not limited to one incident and occurred over an extended period.
Brodeur said the Miss USA Organization does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia or language that takes away another person’s dignity. He said holding a state title is a position of trust that carries standards of public conduct. Brodeur also said he had reviewed a statement from Boltinhouse that contained what he described as ownership, accountability and an apology, while stressing that an apology did not reverse the organization’s decision.
Boltinhouse offered a different explanation in an interview published Aug. 7 with Carolina Journal editor-in-chief Donna King. She described herself as a conservative Christian woman and said she believed her title had been taken because of her beliefs. Asked whether support for President Donald Trump had been viewed as disqualifying within the pageant system, however, Boltinhouse said she did not know and said she had not been given enough information to make that determination.
Boltinhouse also said a confidentiality clause limited what she could publicly discuss about the circumstances surrounding her departure. That restriction leaves some details unresolved, including exactly which conduct pageant officials relied upon when ending her reign. A Blaize Productions has denied that the decision was based on Boltinhouse’s political or religious views and has maintained that its action followed a broader review of her past behavior and public material.
The title change came only weeks before the national competition. Boltinhouse had been preparing to represent North Carolina at the 75th Miss USA pageant in Miami. Hadley, who finished second in the state competition, instead became Miss North Carolina USA 2026 and received the backing of both state organizers and national pageant leadership as the state’s new representative.
Pageant officials have tried to separate their decision from the public backlash surrounding Boltinhouse. Brodeur said accountability should not become an excuse for cruelty and emphasized that she remains a person with a family and a future. A Blaize Productions similarly asked supporters to treat both Boltinhouse and Hadley with dignity during the transition while maintaining that titleholders must meet the standards attached to their public roles.
The competing accounts leave an important question unresolved publicly: the pageant organizations have not released a full account of the evidence reviewed, while Boltinhouse says she cannot discuss all of the circumstances because of confidentiality obligations. The removal remains in effect, and Hadley is set to continue as Miss North Carolina USA 2026 and represent the state at the national competition.
Author note: Last updated August 8, 2026.