Brittany Boltinhouse says her conservative politics and Christian faith may have contributed to the decision to remove her as Miss North Carolina USA 2026, while acknowledging that she does not know precisely why she lost the title.
The 27-year-old pageant winner spoke publicly on August 7th, two days after the Miss USA Organization announced that she would no longer represent North Carolina. Boltinhouse said she had received little information about the reason and was limited in what she could discuss because of a confidentiality agreement.
Miss USA has offered a markedly different public framing. Chairman and CEO Thom Brodeur said the decision followed a review of conduct that violated organizational standards and reflected behavior over an extended period rather than a single incident.
The dispute comes amid reporting about older social-media posts allegedly connected to Boltinhouse, including screenshots showing the use of a racial slur. Boltinhouse did not address the individual posts during her interview.
Boltinhouse Believes Her Politics and Faith Played a Role
Speaking with Carolina Journal editor-in-chief Donna King, Boltinhouse said that based on the information available to her, she believes her conservative political stance and religious beliefs contributed to losing the crown.
She described herself as a proud conservative and a “God-fearing woman,” while emphasizing that her faith remains central to how she views the controversy. However, Boltinhouse repeatedly stopped short of claiming that political or religious discrimination had been established.
“I don’t know,” she said when asked whether support for President Donald Trump could be considered disqualifying within the pageant system. She added that she had not been given enough information to know for certain what prompted the decision.
According to Carolina Journal, Boltinhouse said a confidentiality clause also prevents her from publicly discussing some aspects of the matter. “I wasn’t really given anything,” she said.
Miss USA Says the Decision Concerned Conduct Over Time
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Miss USA has not publicly said that Boltinhouse’s conservative views or religious beliefs played any role in her removal. The organization announced on August 5th that Boltinhouse’s reign had ended following what it described as conduct that violated its standards.
Brodeur said the organization “does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia” or language that denies another person’s dignity. He also stressed that the issue was broader than a single statement or isolated incident. “What was brought to us was not a single moment,” Brodeur said, according to PEOPLE. He said the material reflected conduct occurring over an extended period.
Miss USA described the outcome as a joint decision involving Boltinhouse, her state directors and the national organization. At the same time, Brodeur urged people not to turn accountability into personal cruelty toward Boltinhouse and said he believed people were capable of changing.
Older Social-Media Posts Have Become Central to the Controversy
Carolina Journal reported that online coverage included screenshots of a 2017 exchange from an account tied to Boltinhouse repeatedly using a variation of a racial slur. Other outlets have reported that the posts circulated under the username “Sosa the Stallion” and dated from approximately 2017 to 2019.
Boltinhouse declined to discuss specific past posts and pointed to the confidentiality restrictions surrounding her removal. “Every teenager has made a mistake; every person has made a mistake,” she said, while arguing that she should be evaluated based on the person she is now rather than something that may have happened years earlier.
Boltinhouse Won the Crown Just Five Weeks Before Losing It
Boltinhouse, of Duplin County, won Miss North Carolina USA on June 28th. During that brief period, she had been preparing to represent North Carolina at the national competition and had also performed strongly in Miss USA’s People’s Choice voting.
Boltinhouse described the sudden change as a difficult experience for both her and her family but said her religious faith had helped her remain at peace. She also said she hoped other women, including those who disagree with her politically, would view her experience as encouragement to stand by their convictions.
The Miss USA Organization, meanwhile, has maintained that holding a state crown carries behavioral expectations beyond winning the competition itself. “A title here isn’t a trinket,” Brodeur said in his statement, describing it instead as a position of trust between a titleholder and the organization.
Myla Hadley Will Now Represent North Carolina at Miss USA
First runner-up Myla Hadley has assumed the Miss North Carolina USA 2026 title. Miss USA said Hadley has the organization’s “full confidence and our support” as she prepares to take Boltinhouse’s place at the national competition.
The 75th annual Miss USA final will take place August 27th at the Ziff Ballet Opera House at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. The competition will air live on The CW at 8 p.m. ET, with reigning Miss USA Audrey Eckert scheduled to crown her successor.