CROWN VS. COURT

Dethroned Beauty Queen Sues Miss USA Producers for Defamation

Brittany Boltinhouse claims she was targeted for her political beliefs.

Ousted Miss North Carolina USA 2026, Brittany Boltinhouse, 27, has filed a defamation lawsuit against the show’s production company, A-Blaize Productions and Miss USA president Thom Brodeur. The lawsuit, published on Sunday night, accuses them of “maliciously coordinating to publish a false public narrative portraying [her] as a racist, homophobe, and intolerable bigot to be shunned from public life.” Boltinhouse lost her title weeks after winning the beauty pageant, following the resurfacing of social media posts that contain racial slurs. Boltinhouse and her lawyers have previously said the 27-year-old was targeted for her political and religious beliefs, which they doubled down on in the lawsuit. “[Pageant organizers] hid from the public the real reason they dethroned Brittany: she is a conservative Christian.” A-Blaize Productions has pushed back on this accusation, saying the 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.”