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Miss North Carolina USA Dethroned Over Racist Posts

News desk
NRI HeraldAugust 7, 2026
3 min read
Beauty queen speaks amidst news of racism allegations.

The Miss North Carolina USA organization stripped Boltinhouse of her crown on Tuesday, citing findings from a review of her online activity. The posts, which surfaced recently, contained racially offensive language and imagery, prompting the pageant's leadership to take action.

Brittany Boltinhouse, who was crowned in January, will not represent the state at the Miss USA competition. Instead, first runner-up Myla Hadley, a 24-year-old from Charlotte, has been elevated to the title and will compete in the national pageant scheduled for later this year.

In a statement, the organization said it holds its titleholders to a high standard of conduct and that Boltinhouse's actions were inconsistent with the values of the pageant. The statement did not specify the exact content of the posts but confirmed they were from before her reign.

Boltinhouse has not publicly commented on the decision. Hadley, who previously competed as Miss Charlotte, expressed gratitude for the opportunity and said she looks forward to representing North Carolina with integrity and inclusivity.

The Miss USA organization, which oversees state pageants, has not announced any further disciplinary measures. The dethroning marks a rare instance of a titleholder being removed over social media conduct, though similar cases have occurred in other state pageants in recent years.

News desk · August 7, 2026
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