Miss North Carolina USA stripped of title after alleged ‘racism, homophobia, transphobia’
In a statement shared on Instagram, Miss USA president and CEO Thom Brodeur said the ruling had been made jointly with Boltinhouse
By Callum Wells
Miss North Carolina USA Brittany Boltinhouse has been stripped of her title, with the Miss USA Organisation citing “racism, homophobia and transphobia”.
The decision was announced on Wednesday (5 August), less than a month after Boltinhouse was crowned and just weeks before she was due to compete at Miss USA 2026 in Miami.
In a statement shared on Instagram, Miss USA president and CEO Thom Brodeur said the ruling had been made jointly with Boltinhouse and her state directors following a review of “recently surfaced information”.
“Miss USA does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia” – Miss USA president and CEO Thom Brodeur
“Miss USA does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia, nor language that strips any person of their dignity — whoever they are,” Brodeur said.
He added: “That is not a policy written for a press release, it is the floor of what it means to represent this brand.
“A title here isn’t a trinket. 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.”
Brodeur said the outcome was based on “conduct over an extended period of time” rather than “a single moment”, adding that Boltinhouse had prepared a statement containing “ownership, accountability and apology”.
First runner-up Myla Hadley has now been promoted to Miss North Carolina USA 2026
“While it does not undo the harm, and it does not change the outcome, it is the beginning of the only thing that ever repairs harm, which is change,” he said.
“I believe people can change. I have built my career on the conviction that young people are more than the worst thing they’ve done. I’m also quite aware that change is not a statement. It is a record. It is built over time, in the open, through conduct rather than apology alone.”
The Miss USA Organisation did not identify the material behind its decision.
First runner-up Myla Hadley has now been promoted to Miss North Carolina USA 2026 and will compete in her place.