The organization responsible for the Miss North Carolina USA pageant has stated that Brittany Boltinhouse's crown was revoked due to her past social media conduct, not her political or religious views. A Blaize Productions, which holds the state license for the Miss USA pageant, issued a statement asserting that the decision was not based on "Brittany Boltinhouse’s political views, religious beliefs, or protected personal viewpoints."
"Our organization includes people from various backgrounds, political views, personal beliefs and values. We welcome and celebrate that," the statement read.
Boltinhouse, who won the title in June, was reportedly stripped of her crown weeks later after past online posts came under scrutiny. The former Miss North Carolina USA claimed her conservative Christian beliefs played a role in the decision. "I believe and think I was stripped from my title because of my political stance and my belief system as a conservative Christian woman," Boltinhouse told the Carolina Journal.
Organizers cited her online speech, including repeated use of the N-word in posts from 2017-2019, as the reason for the revocation. The organization's statement indicated that the decision followed "a careful review of the totality of information that came to our attention, including previously undisclosed conduct and public content spanning multiple years that was inconsistent with the standards and responsibilities expected of a Miss North Carolina USA titleholder."
Miss USA President and CEO Thom Brodeur stated that the pageant "does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia nor language that strips any person of their dignity." He added that objectionable statements "reflected conduct over an extended period of time."
"A title here isn’t a trinket," Brodeur told ABC News. "It is a position of trust, extended by an organization 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."
Boltinhouse, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, expressed pride in her faith and conservative identity. "I am proud of my faith. I am proud of my standards. I am a proud conservative woman, but a Christian woman. I'm a God-fearing woman," she said.
The first runner-up, Myla Hadley, is set to represent North Carolina at the Miss USA pageant. Boltinhouse described the loss of her title as a "blessing in disguise," expressing gratitude that she experienced the situation rather than another young woman who might not cope as well.
"You have a right to be a conservative in this country, a constitutional right," Boltinhouse stated. "Everyone has a right to say what they want to say and feel what they want to feel."