The Miss USA organisation and its chief executive, Thom Brodeur, have opposed a lawsuit brought by former Miss North Carolina USA Brittany Boltinhouse after she was stripped of her title and removed from the 2026 competition.
Boltinhouse is suing over statements issued by pageant officials, alleging that they defamed her and created a false public impression that she was racist.
In court documents, Brodeur and the organisation argued that their statements did not identify Boltinhouse. They also said that, even if she could be identified, the comments amounted to an expression of opinion and therefore could not form the basis of a defamation claim.
The organisation further maintains that Boltinhouse had already acknowledged using racist slurs in social media posts, which it says undermines her lawsuit.
Why Brittany Boltinhouse was removed from Miss USA
Boltinhouse was named Miss North Carolina USA in June 2026 and had been due to compete in the Miss USA pageant in August. She was removed after old social media posts containing the n-word emerged.
Miss USA announced the decision in a statement saying: “The organization said it does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia, nor language that strips any person of their dignity.”
Boltinhouse has said she did not object to being taken out of the competition, but disputed the public narrative she believed the statement created about her.
She has also alleged that her removal was connected to her attendance at a rally for President Trump on January 6, 2021, posts about the Tate brothers and a tribute to Charlie Kirk. She has not yet responded to the latest court filing.
