Brittany Boltinhouse, 27, who was crowned Miss North Carolina USA 2026, was dethroned shortly after due to resurfaced posts that included racially charged language. In an interview with the Carolina Journal, she expressed her belief that her title was revoked because of her political views and conservative Christian beliefs. Boltinhouse is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and stated, "I am proud of my faith. I am proud of my standards. I am a proud conservative woman, but a Christian woman. I’m a God-fearing woman."
A Blaize Productions, which oversees the Miss North Carolina USA competition, clarified that the decision to unseat Boltinhouse was not influenced by her political or religious beliefs, emphasizing their commitment to diversity in backgrounds and viewpoints. The official reason for her dethronement has not been disclosed, but it follows the emergence of tweets attributed to her from 2017 to 2019 that contained the N-word. Miss USA CEO Thom Brodeur condemned hate speech, stating that the organization does not tolerate racism or language that undermines human dignity.
Brittany Boltinhouse acknowledged that her past posts were a mistake but emphasized her current identity and achievements. She noted that she made history as the first married woman and the first Honduran woman to hold the title of Miss North Carolina USA. Myla Hadley, the first runner-up, will represent North Carolina in the upcoming Miss USA 2026 pageant. Boltinhouse's Instagram account appears to have been deactivated as of August 10.