Ousted Miss North Carolina USA Speaks Out After Being Replaced by Her Black Runner-Up
Former Miss North Carolina USA Brittany Boltinhouse is breaking her silence after having her title stripped away by the prestigious pageant system—and after her new replacement, a Black woman named Myla Hadley, has now taken her place. Let’s get into how this all transpired in the first place.
If you somehow missed the news, allow us to get you up to speed. Nearly two months after Boltinhouse was crowned, her title was taken away following an internal investigation run by the organization. While their findings weren’t publicized, they did cite “conduct over an extended period of time” and noted in a statement that their decision wasn’t based on a “single moment.”
However, local North Carolina outlet NCBeat pointed to resurfaced tweets where Boltinhouse allegedly used the n-word frequently years ago, and more recently allegedly criticized former Vice President Kamala Harris and espoused more conservative beliefs.
And while Miss USA CEO Thom Brodeur didn’t address those tweets or the post, he made it clear that the org doesn’t stand for or tolerate “racism, homophobia or transphobia.”
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“The Miss USA organization does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia nor language that strips any person of their dignity—whoever they are. That is not a policy written for a press release. It is the floor of what it means to represent this brand,” Brodeur said in an official statement to Instagram.
He later added: “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.”
While she originally kept quiet, according to ABC News, Boltinhouse has now decided to speak out about the ordeal. Specifically, she sat down for an on-camera interview with The Carolina Journal, where she revealed that she felt her title was taken away from her due to her conservative beliefs.
“All I can say is that I think and believe that my title was ripped from me because of my beliefs,” she told the outlet.
She later added: “I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am proud of my faith. I’m proud of my standards. I’m a proud conservative woman, but a Christian woman. I’m a God-fearing woman. I will never let my guard down for my faith.”
Boltinhouse went on to say that while the decision was a “huge shock,” she views it as a “blessing in disguise.” However, when asked about those aforementioned social media posts, she dismissed them, chalking them up to simple “mistakes.”
Now, former Tennessee State University student Myla Hadley will take her spot and compete in the Miss USA competition set to go down later this month. Taking to Instagram, the HBCU student shared words of gratitude and support for those in her corner now and assured those watching that she’d be ready to represent the state of North Carolina well, in spite of the last-minute shakeup.
“Thank you to everyone for all the support and love you’ve shown me throughout this entire process,” Hadley wrote on Instagram. “I understand the seriousness and level of prestige that this title carries, and I can confidently say that both my team and I are ready to take this on.”
She concluded: “While this may seem like a two-week turnaround given the circumstances, I’ve been preparing to represent at Miss USA since I first competed with this organization. I am ready to represent North Carolina.”
Judging by Hadley’s latest Instagram post where she finally picked out the dress she’ll be competing in, it looks like she’s already on her way to doing just that.
