Former Miss North Carolina USA 2026 Brittany Boltinhouse has spoken publicly after being stripped of her title, saying she believes her conservative Christian views played a role in the decision.
In an interview with Carolina Journal editor-in-chief Donna King published Friday, Boltinhouse said she believes she lost the crown because of her political stance and religious beliefs.
The former pageant winner described herself as a proud conservative Christian woman and said she is at peace with how the situation unfolded.
Boltinhouse did not address resurfaced social media posts that allegedly contained racist remarks dating back to between 2017 and 2019. She said a confidentiality clause prevented her from discussing certain details surrounding the controversy.
Despite describing the experience as an emotional rollercoaster that also placed her family under scrutiny, Boltinhouse called the situation a “blessing in disguise” and said she remains focused on her future.
She was also asked whether supporting Donald Trump could be viewed as disqualifying in the pageant world, but said she could not give a definitive answer based on what she currently knows.
The Miss USA organization announced earlier this week that Boltinhouse’s crown had been revoked, with runner-up Myla Hadley taking over the title.
Miss USA chairman and CEO Thom Brodeur said the organization does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia or language that dehumanizes others, without directly addressing the specific allegations against Boltinhouse.#newsafro_
