The Miss USA organization and its CEO, Thom Brodeur, are pushing back against a defamation lawsuit filed by former Miss North Carolina USA Brittany Boltinhouse. The organization argues that her claims have no merit, pointing to her previous acknowledgment of old social media posts containing racial slurs.
Thom Brodeur argues Brittany Boltinhouse’s lawsuit has no merit
According to TMZ, Brodeur and the Miss USA organization have challenged Boltinhouse’s defamation claims. They argue that the public statement announcing her removal did not name her or directly accuse her of being racist. They also contend that the statement expressed an opinion and therefore cannot form the basis of a defamation claim. The organization further points to Boltinhouse’s acknowledgment of the old social media posts, arguing that her admission undermines her lawsuit.
Boltinhouse won the Miss North Carolina USA title in June 2026 and was expected to compete in the national Miss USA pageant in August. However, the organization removed her crown on August 5 after old social media posts resurfaced. The posts, reportedly dating from 2017 to 2019, included repeated use of a racial slur.
Following her removal, Boltinhouse sued Miss USA, Brodeur, and state pageant operators. She alleged that the defendants had created a smear campaign and built a false narrative about her. Boltinhouse also suggested that her conservative religious and political views may have contributed to her removal. She has maintained that her lawsuit challenges the public statements issued by Miss USA, not the organization’s authority to remove her crown.
The legal battle has also taken a procedural turn. According to the article, the defendants transferred the case from Duplin County Superior Court to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina on October 26, 2026. The case was subsequently referred for mediation, adding another step to the dispute as both sides continue to contest the allegations.
