Brittany Boltinhouse, the former Miss North Carolina USA winner who was stripped of her crown, has filed a defamation lawsuit alleging pageant officials concealed the true reason behind her removal.
In the complaint, filed Sunday and reviewed by The Post, Boltinhouse’s attorneys accuse A-Blaize Productions — the producers of the pageant — and Miss USA president Thom Brodeur of “maliciously coordinating to publish a false public narrative portraying [her] as a racist, homophobe, and intolerable bigot to be shunned from public life.”
The legal action was lodged just one day before the Miss USA competition was set to begin Monday in Miami, Florida.
Boltinhouse, 27, lost the Miss North Carolina USA title on Aug. 5, roughly five weeks after winning it, following an exposé that resurfaced social media posts from 2017 to 2019 containing the N-word.
Her lawsuit argues, however, that the posts did not become a controversy until after Boltinhouse, whose parents are Hispanic, had secured the crown.
“Nearly a decade later… when Brittany’s immigrant inspired work ethic was propelling her to the American dream, [the pageant organizers] would conspire to use these innocuous posts and their self-evident ubiquitous use of the popular slang term ‘n—a’ to falsely smear Brittany as a racist, homophobe, transphobe, and bigot,” her attorneys alleged.
They further claimed that “[pageant organizers] hid from the public the real reason they dethroned Brittany: she is a conservative Christian.”
Boltinhouse has previously said she believes she was removed because of her political views, an allegation she repeats and expands upon in the lawsuit.
She attended President Trump’s speech on the National Mall on Jan. 6 2021, expressed support for Andrew and Tristan Tate, publicized her objections to former President Biden’s “Transgender Day of Visibility” proclamation in 2024, and issued a rallying cry to vote for Trump on the eve of the November 2024 election.
Her lawyers claimed they used her conservative beliefs to “falsely portray and defame her … as a racist, homophobe, transphobe, and a bigot who should be shunned from public life.”
Pageant organizers are accused of trying to obtain a false confession from Boltinhouse in the form of a pre-prepared statement – remarks which she refused to endorse.
“Over the past several days, I have been forced to confront parts of my past that I am not proud of,” the statement said.
“That has included a fight from my teenage years and social media posts I made as a young adult. Those words and actions were mine, and I take full responsibility for them. I do not seek to minimize them or make excuses for them. To those who were hurt or disappointed by my past words or actions, I offer my sincere apology. This experience has been painful, but it has also been humbling.”
Calls with pageant organizers also suggested Boltinhouse was dethroned over several factors.
“Brittany, you are being dethroned, or you have been dethroned because of the totality of every single thing altogether,” Nic Blaize, the pageant’s co-director said, according to a transcript of a recorded call from Aug. 5.
It also appeared that pageant organizers were pressured from high above.
“The national office told us to make a statement,” Nic Blaize said, when asked about why bosses shared the online statement. “They told us too that we had to make a statement.”
A-Blaize Productions previously denied Boltinhouse was dethroned over her beliefs.
“A Blaize Productions’ decision was not based on Brittany Boltinhouse’s political views, religious beliefs, or protected personal viewpoints. Our organization includes people from various backgrounds, political views, personal beliefs and values. We welcome and celebrate that,” a spokesperson told The Post.
“The decision followed a careful review of the totality of information that came to our attention, including previously undisclosed conduct and public content spanning multiple years that was inconsistent with the standards and responsibilities expected of a Miss North Carolina USA titleholder under the agreements governing the position.”
Boltinhouse is seeking compensation and Myla Hadley assumed her crown.
A-Blaize Productions has not responded to the lawsuit.
