Brittany Boltinhouse, who was stripped of her Miss North Carolina USA title earlier this month, has filed a lawsuit against pageant organizers, alleging she was targeted for her conservative Christian beliefs and political affiliations.
The suit, filed in federal court, names the Miss USA organization and A Blaize Productions, which runs the state pageant, as defendants. Boltinhouse claims the organizers conspired to replace her and defame her because of her support for President Donald Trump and other conservative figures, including Andrew and Tristan Tate and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Boltinhouse was dethroned on August 5, with organizers citing “recently surfaced information” that violated the pageant's “standards and values.” At the time, no specifics were provided, but Miss USA president and CEO Thom Brodeur issued a statement the following day saying the organization does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia, or language that strips any person of their dignity.
Reports later surfaced of social media posts from 2017 and 2019 in which Boltinhouse used a racial slur. Her lawyers do not deny she used the term but argue the posts are “in no way evidence she is a racist, homophobe, transphobe or a bigot who should be shunned from public life.” They allege the real reason for her ouster was her political and religious beliefs.
According to the lawsuit, Boltinhouse also spoke out against President Joe Biden's “Transgender Day of Visibility” in 2024, calling it part of a “moral decay” contrary to American and Christian values. She attended Trump's speech on the Ellipse on January 6, 2021, as part of a Turning Point USA trip, though the suit notes she did not approach or enter the Capitol.
“Defendants hid from the public the real reason they dethroned Brittany: [S]he is a conservative Christian,” the lawsuit states. Boltinhouse's lawyers also claim that an apology mentioned in Brodeur's statement was never approved by their client.
Boltinhouse, 27, from Duplin County, won the state title on June 28, 2026, her first pageant. She had said she entered to reconnect with her femininity while running a flooring business with her husband. She was set to compete in the Miss USA pageant this week in Miami, but North Carolina will now be represented by Myla Hadley, who was crowned in her place.
Hadley wrote on Instagram that she understands the seriousness and prestige of the title and that her team is ready. Representatives for the Miss USA organization and A Blaize Productions did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, plus attorneys' fees. It adds to a string of controversies for the Miss USA organization, which has faced criticism over its handling of political and social issues. The case highlights the ongoing clash between pageant culture and political activism, a dynamic that has played out in other states as well. For more on how political tensions are affecting public institutions, see Trump's recent campaign push in South Carolina.
