Miss North Carolina USA Brittany Boltinhouse has been stripped of her beauty pageant title, a decision announced Wednesday by A-Blaize Productions, which oversees the contest. The dethroning occurred just over a month after her victory, following a "thorough review of recently surfaced information."
In a statement, organizers described the decision as difficult but necessary to "preserve the integrity of the Miss North Carolina USA title and the values of our organization." They emphasized that titleholders agree to uphold specific standards when accepting the honor.
Thom Brodeur, president and CEO of Miss USA, stated that the organization "does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia, nor language that strips any person of their dignity." He noted that the resurfaced posts were not an isolated incident but reflected "conduct over an extended period of time."
While Boltinhouse, 27, has apologized, Brodeur indicated that her confession "does not undo the harm, and it does not change the outcome." The specific social media posts, allegedly made between 2017 and 2019 under an alias, reportedly contained racial slurs, including the n-word, and self-described "toxic" commentary, according to NCBeat.
Boltinhouse, a business owner from Wilmington, was the first Honduran model to win the Miss North Carolina USA title. She previously expressed pride in her accomplishment, stating, "Representation matters, and I hope every little girl who has ever wondered if she belongs can see that she does."
Myla Hadley, the contest's first runner-up, has now assumed the title of Miss North Carolina USA and is expected to represent the state at the 75th annual Miss USA competition, scheduled to begin August 24 in Miami, Florida.