Myla Hadley, the Miss North Carolina USA first runner-up who has now taken over Brittany Boltinhouse’s crown, has spoken publicly about her new title — while steering clear of the racism allegations surrounding her predecessor.
Hadley said Wednesday that she is “extremely grateful and humbled” by the encouragement she has received as she prepares to compete later this month at the Miss USA national finals in Miami.
“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,” the 24-year-old wrote in a post shared to her Instagram Stories.
“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. Thank you all again for your motivation, support, and well wishes.”
Boltinhouse, 27, lost the Miss North Carolina USA title after pageant organizers A-Blaize Productions conducted what they described as a “thorough review of recently surfaced information.”
The Wilmington business owner has been accused of posting multiple social media messages containing a racial slur under an alias between 2017 and 2019, according to the NCBeat.
“This decision was not made lightly,” the organizers said in a statement. “It followed a thorough review of recently surfaced information and was based on the totality of the circumstances and our responsibility to preserve the integrity of the Miss North Carolina USA title and the values of our organization.”
“As an organization entrusted with selecting and preparing women to represent our states on the national stage, we must uphold the standards and values that our titleholders agree to embrace when accepting the honor of wearing the crown.”
Thom Brodeur, the Miss USA president and CEO, didn’t disclose what caused Boltinhouse to lose her title – other than saying the decision was linked to “conduct over an extended period of time.”
