Former Miss North Carolina USA Brittany Boltinhouse’s abrupt removal from the title over alleged racist social media posts has rattled the pageant community, with one fellow competitor telling The Post the news has become a major topic of conversation.
Boltinhouse, 27, was officially dethroned Wednesday after A-Blaize Productions, the company that runs the Miss North Carolina USA pageant, said it completed “a thorough review of recently surfaced information.”
Alexis Yearde, who competed against Boltinhouse in June, said she backs the organization’s decision.
“She seems to be a really sweet girl, and I’m sorry this is happening to her, but I really do stand with the Miss USA organization on where they have made their decision,” Yearde, 26, said.
Yearde said the controversy should be a turning point for Boltinhouse, who has been accused of writing a series of hateful social media posts under an alias between 2017 and 2019, according to the NC Beat. “This is something [Boltinhouse is] definitely going to have to learn from,” she said.
The Wilmington resident allegedly posted under the username Sosa the Stallion, repeatedly using the N-word and, in one strange instance, referring to herself as “toxic,” the outlet reported.
Yearde, who lives in Greenville about 100 miles north of Boltinhouse, said the volume of the alleged remarks was jarring. “I was definitely shocked to see how much was said, and it seems like her words have caused a lot of pain, especially to our community,” she said.
“It’s really hurtful because we have such a small community” and “because we were all so excited for her journey,” Yearde added.
Even while vacationing in Thailand — 11 hours ahead of her home state — Yearde told The Post on Thursday that she has been “locked in” on the controversy ever since it erupted “because it’s just been so crazy.”
The pageant world “is a close-knit community and when something like this happens, it’s hurtful for all of us,” Yearde said — especially because no one saw it coming.
“I haven’t heard anything else besides the initial shock from everyone that this is happening …[Boltinhouse] got along really well with the other women at the pageant — she was very helpful, very kind during her time there,” Yearde recalled.
“She didn’t seem like a bad person at all.”
The coveted crown was handed over to Miss North Carolina USA’s first runner-up Myla Hadley immediately following Boltinhouse’s ouster.
“As beautiful as the crown is, it’s not just something that we wear as a trinket – the crown is like a microphone that amplifies the voice. It serves a deeper purpose than just to wear it,” Yearde said, echoing A Blaize Productions’ insistence on upholding the title’s “standards and values.”
Hadley, 24, will now represent the Tar Heel State at the 75th annual Miss USA competition in Miami starting Aug. 24.
The newly crowned beauty queen said she’s “extremely grateful and humbled” by the support she has received in light of the unexpected coronation on Wednesday — but remained mum on her rival’s alleged racism scandal.
The “dedicated” Hadley “has been training for this moment for over 12 years,” Yearde said. “She’s super prepared and is going to do a great job at Miss USA.”
As for Boltinhouse, “I know that, at this time, it’s probably super chaotic for her, but I truly wish her the best in this part of her journey,” Yearde said.
“I hope that she learns and that she uses this opportunity to become better educated on these things that have happened and why it’s so important to be knowledgeable on these things,” she added.
The Post reached out to Boltinhouse, who has not yet addressed the scandal publicly.
