The beauty pageant world is in shock after former Miss North Carolina USA Brittany Boltinhouse was suddenly stripped of her crown following claims of past racist social media posts, according to an exclusive report.
The 27-year-old was officially dethroned Wednesday after A-Blaize Productions, the organization behind the state pageant, said it completed a thorough review of newly surfaced information.
A fellow contestant, Alexis Yearde, who competed against Boltinhouse back in June, says she backs the organization’s call.
“She seems like 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 made their decision,” Yearde, 26, told reporters.
Reports from NC Beat claim Boltinhouse allegedly used racial slurs and referred to herself as “toxic” in a series of posts under the username Sosa the Stallion between 2017 and 2019.
Yearde, who lives in Greenville about 100 miles from Boltinhouse’s Wilmington home, says she was stunned by the volume of the alleged posts.
“It’s really hurtful because we have such a small community and because we were all so excited for her journey,” she explained.
Even from a vacation in Thailand, Yearde says she’s been glued to the controversy.
“The pageant world is a close-knit community, and when something like this happens, it’s hurtful for all of us,” she said, adding that the news caught everyone off guard.
“I haven’t heard anything besides the initial shock from everyone,” Yearde recalled. “She got along really well with the other women at the pageant—she was very helpful, very kind during her time there. She didn’t seem like a bad person at all.”
Following Boltinhouse’s exit, first runner-up Myla Hadley immediately inherited the crown.
“The crown is like a microphone that amplifies the voice,” Yearde said, noting the importance of upholding the values of the title.
Hadley, 24, will now represent North Carolina at the 75th annual Miss USA competition in Miami starting August 24.
The newly crowned queen expressed gratitude and humility about her unexpected coronation, but stayed silent on the controversy surrounding her predecessor.
Yearde praised Hadley as dedicated and prepared, saying she’s been training for over 12 years.
As for Boltinhouse, Yearde says she hopes the former titleholder will learn from the situation.
“I know it’s probably super chaotic for her right now, but I truly wish her the best,” she said. “I hope she uses this opportunity to become better educated.”
Boltinhouse has not yet publicly addressed the 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝓃𝒹𝒶𝓁.
What comes next for both women as the Miss USA pageant approaches?
