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Brittany Boltinhouse reveals real reason Miss North Carolina title was stripped from her: ‘From dream to nightmare…’
Brittany Boltinhouse suggested her conservative views led to the strippage of the Miss North Carolina USA title.
Former Miss North Carolina USA Brittany Boltinhouse has broken her silence after losing the crown, saying she believes her conservative political views and Christian faith played a role in the decision to strip her of the title.
In an interview with the Carolina Journal, Boltinhouse said she was unable to discuss the specifics of the decision because of a confidentiality clause. But, she offered her clearest explanation yet for why she believes the pageant title was taken from her.
‘My title was ripped from me because...’
Boltinhouse stopped short of directly accusing the organization of discriminating against her, repeatedly acknowledging that she does not know exactly what motivated the decision.
Still, she said she believes her beliefs were at the center of what happened.
“I think and believe that my title was ripped from me because of my beliefs,” she said.
The former titleholder described herself as a proud conservative and a Christian woman who is deeply committed to her faith. She said her religious beliefs and love of the United States are central parts of her identity.
Boltinhouse is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and said she would not hide her faith or compromise the principles she believes in.
She also defended her right to express her political and religious views, arguing that people in the United States have a constitutional right to hold conservative beliefs and express their opinions.
Asked whether conservatism should be viewed as disqualifying in the pageant world, Boltinhouse rejected the idea.
“I think in any system, not just in pageantry, I think you have the right to be a conservative in this country,” she said.
‘I won fair and square’
Boltinhouse said the pageant was her first experience in the industry. She decided to enter in December 2025 and spent six months preparing before winning the Miss North Carolina USA crown.
She described the experience as transformative, saying she had to learn everything from walking in heels to public speaking and pageant presentation.
But what began as a personal challenge quickly became a painful experience.
“I just feel like it just went from a dream to a nightmare really fast,” she said.
Despite losing the crown, Boltinhouse said she is not seeking to have it restored. Instead, she said she wants an opportunity to defend her reputation and challenge what she called a false narrative about her.
“I'm not here to fight back for my crown,” she said. “I'm here to give my side of the story and ... fight for my reputation.”
She said she has also chosen to forgive those involved in the decision, saying that was how she was raised.
“I forgive them because that's what I was raised to do,” Boltinhouse said.
The title has since passed to first runner-up Myla Hadley, who is set to represent North Carolina at Miss USA.
For Boltinhouse, the controversy is now less about reclaiming the crown and more about telling her side of the story. She said she hopes other women, including conservative women and women of faith, will not be discouraged from expressing their beliefs because of what happened to her.
What are the allegations against her?
The controversy intensified this week after A Blaize Productions, which runs the Miss North Carolina USA pageant, announced that Boltinhouse had been removed from the title following a review conducted in consultation with the Miss USA Organization. First runner-up Myla Hadley has since taken over the crown and will represent North Carolina at the Miss USA competition.
The organizers did not identify a particular post in their announcement, saying only that Boltinhouse’s conduct had fallen short of the standards expected of a titleholder. The decision followed scrutiny of alleged posts from 2017 to 2019 linked to an X account reportedly operated under the name “Sosa the Stallion.” Screenshots shared online appear to show repeated use of the N-word and other offensive language, though the specific posts were not cited by the pageant in its statement. However, HT.com has not independently verified their authenticity.
Her comments come days after the Miss North Carolina USA title was revoked following scrutiny over Boltinhouse’s past conduct. The Miss USA organization has said the decision followed a review and that its standards were not upheld.
Boltinhouse, however, said the circumstances surrounding her removal remain unclear to her.
