CHARLOTTE — A law firm said Monday it is launching an investigation into the decision to strip Miss North Carolina USA of her titles just a few weeks before the 75th annual Miss USA pageant.
According to a video posted by attorney Patrick Mincey, his law firm will represent Brittany Boltinhouse, who is from Duplin County, and is investigating pageant organizers over their decision to strip Boltinhouse of the 2026 Miss North Carolina USA crown.
Boltinhouse competed after being crowned Miss Wilmington, was recently crowned Miss North Carolina USA, and was supposed to take the stage at the 75th annual Miss USA pageant on Aug 27. Instead, runner-up Myla Hadley, who represented Charlotte, will take her place at the national pageant.
“Our firm is honored to represent Brittany in connection with anticipated legal action,” Mincey said, “Our firm has been engaged to conduct a comprehensive investigation around the circumstances surrounding the removal of her crown.”
Pageant organizers did not say exactly what Boltinhouse did to have her title removed. A Blaize Productions, which runs pageants in the Carolinas, said the decision came after a “thorough review of recently surfaced information.”
In an interview Friday, Boltinhouse said she believes her political views and faith played a role in the decision; Mincey agreed.
“Brittany has been targeted because of her Christian faith and her conservative political views,” Mincey said, “No organization that claims to promote fairness, opportunity and empowerment should discriminate against an individual because of her sincerely held beliefs.”
While it is unclear what exactly Boltinhouse did, Miss USA president and CEO Thom Brodeur said the organization “does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia nor language that strips any person of their dignity.”
Mincey said that the decision appeared in his eyes to be a result of “cancel culture,” and claimed that his firm had already collected evidence that suggested pageant officials didn’t have any “legitimate or legal basis” to strip Boltinhouse of her title.
“To this day, pageant organizers have not identified any specific conduct that would justify stripping Brittany of her crown,” Mincey said, “Their persistent refusal to cite concrete facts, rules or violations speaks for itself.”
Brodeur said that the organization holds pageant contestants to a zero tolerance standard of conduct, but that holding someone accountable is not permission to “strip someone of their humanity.”
“One thing is certain, Brittany Boltinhouse will not be canceled,” Mincey said.
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