Ex-Miss North Carolina breaks silence after losing crown over ‘conservative’ beliefs
A former beauty queen has spoken publicly for the first time since losing her crown just weeks after winning it, claiming her political and religious beliefs are the real reason she was pushed out.
Brittany Boltinhouse was crowned Miss North Carolina USA on June 28, but the Miss USA Organization announced on August 5 that she had been removed from the title.
Chairman and CEO Thom Brodeur said the decision came after discussions involving Boltinhouse, her state directors and the organization, though he stopped short of detailing exactly what she'd done, according to PEOPLE.
Now, Boltinhouse has given her side of the story, telling Carolina Journal editor-in-chief Donna King in a YouTube interview published Friday, August 7, that she believes her political and religious views played a role in her downfall.
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Why was Miss North Carolina USA stripped of her title?
According to Brodeur, the decision to remove Boltinhouse was based on an accumulation of things.
He said the organization does not tolerate ‘racism, homophobia, transphobia’ or ‘language that strips any person of their dignity’, but stressed the decision wasn't triggered by one isolated incident.
"What was brought to us was not a single moment," he said. "It reflected conduct over an extended period of time. That is why this outcome was reached, and I stand behind it without qualification."
He also stressed that the crown comes with responsibility beyond the pageant itself, describing the title as 'a position of trust' that a winner accepts when she agrees 'to carry a standard in public.'
Brodeur said he'd seen Boltinhouse's own public statement on the matter and called it one that showed 'ownership, accountability and apology', though he noted it didn't change the final outcome.
What did Brittany Boltinhouse say about losing her crown?
Speaking to King, Boltinhouse suggested her values were the real reason behind her removal.
"I'm proud of my standards. I'm a proud conservative woman, but a Christian woman. I'm a God-fearing woman," she said, adding that a confidentiality clause she'd signed meant she was 'not allowed to speak about things' that led to the decision.
Despite the fallout, Boltinhouse insisted she wasn't bitter about how things played out.
"I'm very much at peace and I'm actually glad it happened to me and not some other young lady that, you know, maybe just probably wouldn't make it through what I'm going through right now," she said, pointing to the scrutiny she and her family had faced.
When King asked whether she believed being conservative was 'disqualifying' in the pageant world, Boltinhouse pushed back, saying, "I think you have the right to be a conservative in this country. It's a constitutional right."
She was more hesitant when asked if support for President Trump had worked against her, saying only, 'I don't know.'
She added: "All I can say is that I think and believe that my title was ripped from me because of my beliefs."
Boltinhouse, from Beulaville, was crowned Miss North Carolina USA on June 28. Following her removal, runner-up Myla Hadley has taken over the title and will represent the state at Miss USA on August 27.
UNILAD has approached The Miss USA Organization for comment.
Thomas Bamford