Brittany Boltinhouse, the former Miss North Carolina USA, filed a lawsuit Monday against the organizers of the Miss USA and Miss North Carolina USA pageants. The filing alleges she was stripped of her title earlier this month because of her conservative Christian beliefs and her support for President Donald Trump. Boltinhouse was removed from her position on August 5, approximately five weeks after winning the state crown on June 28, 2026.
A Blaize Productions, which organizes the state pageant, stated on August 5 that Boltinhouse was removed due to "recently surfaced information" that contradicted pageant standards. The following day, Miss USA CEO Thom Brodeur issued a statement saying the organization does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia, or language that "strips any person of their dignity." Reports subsequently circulated regarding Boltinhouse’s use of a racial slur on social media in 2017 and 2019.
In court documents, Boltinhouse’s attorneys do not deny the social media posts occurred but argue they do not prove she is a racist or bigot. Instead, the lawsuit claims pageant organizers conspired to replace her because of her support for Trump, Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA, and Andrew and Tristan Tate. The suit also references her public criticism of President Joe Biden’s "Transgender Day of Visibility" and her attendance at Trump's January 6, 2021, speech, though the filing states she did not enter the Capitol.
For the Miss USA organization and A Blaize Productions, the scale involves the potential payment of compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorneys’ fees, though the specific dollar amount requested was not reported. The organizations must also manage the logistical impact of the lawsuit as the national Miss USA pageant begins this week in Miami. The removal has already resulted in a change of representation for North Carolina, as runner-up Myla Hadley has officially replaced Boltinhouse and is scheduled to compete in the national competition.
The concrete day-to-day change for the individuals involved is immediate. Boltinhouse has lost her title and the associated prestige, and she will not participate in the Miami pageant this week. For the new titleholder, Myla Hadley, the change involves assuming all duties, public appearances, and competition requirements effective immediately. The legal proceedings will likely continue for months, potentially setting a precedent for how pageant organizations vet the social media history and political activities of contestants in future cycles. What happens next depends on the court's response to the filing; the pageant organizers had not yet returned requests for comment at the time of the report.