Brittany Boltinhouse, the former Miss North Carolina USA 2026, has broken her silence after being stripped of her title.
She believes the decision was driven by her conservative Christian values, not the resurfaced posts that led to her removal.
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In an interview with Carolina Journal editor-in-chief Donna King, Boltinhouse stated, "I believe and think I was stripped from my title because of my political stance and my belief system as a conservative Christian woman."
She emphasized her faith, saying, "I'm proud of my standards. I'm a proud conservative woman, but a Christian woman.
I'm a God-fearing woman."
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Bolithouse, who is Mormon, did not address the allegedly racist comments she reportedly made between 2017 and 2019, which surfaced online.
She cited a "confidentiality clause" preventing her from discussing details, but described the ordeal as a "blessing in disguise" and said she is at peace with what happened.
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Calling the experience an "emotional rollercoaster" that also put her family under scrutiny, she added, "I see the light at the end of the tunnel and I know who I am and I know what I can become."
When asked if being a Donald Trump supporter is "disqualifying" in the pageant world, Boltinhouse replied, "All I can say from the information that I have today and what I believe and I think is honestly I don't know."
As previously reported, the North Carolina competition organizers announced Wednesday that they were revoking her crown and giving it to runner-up Myla Hadley.
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Thom Brodeur, chairman and CEO of Miss USA, did not address the specific allegations against Boltinhouse but said in the announcement that the organization "does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia nor language that strips any person of their dignity."
