Miss North Carolina USA stripped of crown after old posts surface

Brittany Boltinhouse has been dethroned as Miss North Carolina USA 2026, just over a month after winning the title, following the resurfacing of old social media posts that drew public backlash.

A Blaize Productions, which produces the state pageant, announced Wednesday that it had ended Ms. Boltinhouse’s reign after “careful consideration, multiple conversations, and in consultation with the Miss USA Organization.” The organization said the decision followed a review of “recently surfaced information” but did not detail what that information was.

Thom Brodeur, chairman and CEO of the Miss USA Organization, said the decision was not based on a single incident.

“It reflected conduct over an extended period of time,” he said. “That is why this outcome was reached, and I stand behind it without qualification.”

Mr. Brodeur said the organization “does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia nor language that strips any person of their dignity — whoever they are,” adding that a state title “isn’t a trinket” but “a position of trust.” At the same time, he urged the public to remember Ms. Boltinhouse is “still a human being,” saying accountability “does not require cruelty.”

Ms. Boltinhouse, 27, of Wilmington, was crowned Miss North Carolina USA on June 28 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and had been set to represent the state at the 75th Miss USA pageant on Aug. 27 in Miami. She is of Honduran descent and had been promoted by the organization as a successful entrepreneur.

Under the pageant’s succession rules, first runner-up Myla Hadley will now represent North Carolina at the national competition. Mr. Brodeur said Ms. Hadley has the organization’s “full confidence and our support.”

Ms. Boltinhouse has not yet issued a public statement, though Mr. Brodeur said he had seen a draft and described it as reflecting “ownership, accountability and apology.”