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A lawyer for former Miss North Carolina USA Brittany Boltinhouse said the removal of his client’s title and crown is “another troubling example of cancel culture.”
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Boltinhouse, of the Eastern North Carolina town of Beulaville, was stripped of the 2026 Miss North Carolina USA title on Aug. 5, because of conduct “over an extended period of time” that violated Miss USA standards, Miss USA CEO Thom Brodeur wrote in a statement.
As of Tuesday, Aug. 11, Miss USA has not said publicly how Boltinhouse violated its policies. Brodeur said in his statement that Miss USA “does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia nor language that strips any person of their dignity — no matter who they are.”
But lawyer Patrick Mincey said in a video he and Boltinhouse both posted Monday on Instagram that his firm, Mincey Bell Rhoades, has evidence she was targeted for her political and religious beliefs. He did not provide examples of the evidence in the video.
Boltinhouse, who is Mormon, said in an Aug. 7 interview with the Carolina Journal that she believed her religious beliefs and conservative political views cost her the title.
A Blaize Productions, the license holder for Miss North Carolina USA, denied that Boltinhouse was dethroned because of her politics or religion in a Saturday statement to The News & Observer. The company wrote that the reasons “were clearly shared and expressed” to her.
The N&O reached out Tuesday to Miss USA and A Blaize Productions for additional comment on the law firm’s statement and investigation.
Mincey said the firm’s investigation into Boltinhouse’s treatment is “national in scope.” The firm said it obtained recorded statements of pageant officials acknowledging there was no “legitimate or legal basis for their decision to strip Brittany of her title.”
“The evidence developed thus far confirms a deeply concerning pattern: Brittany has been targeted because of her Christian faith and her conservative political views,” Mincey said.
The N&O asked the firm if it could provide examples of evidence. Stephen Bell, a lawyer with Mincey Bell Rhoades, wrote in a Tuesday email that he could not “discuss specifics of legal arguments and evidence we will present.”
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Mincey called Boltinhouse the “very best of the American dream,” pointing to her background as a daughter of immigrants who grew up in rural North Carolina and how she won four of five awards at the June Miss North Carolina USA competition despite being a newcomer to the pageant system.
She won Miss Wilmington and Miss North Carolina USA despite competing in her first pageants in December 2025, she told the Carolina Journal.
“Brittany Boltinhouse earned her crown,” Mincey said. “She earned the respect and admiration of millions who support her. And one thing is for certain: Brittany Boltinhouse will not be canceled.”
Boltinhouse would have been the third Latina and first Honduran woman to represent North Carolina at Miss USA.
Mincey Bell Rhoades’ most notable clients include whistleblowers who alleged that Truth Social, President Donald Trump’s social media company, accepted loans from entities with ties to allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As it stands, Myla Hadley, who finished second at the June Miss North Carolina USA pageant, holds the title and will represent North Carolina at the Miss USA pageant on Aug. 24-27 in Miami.
Mincey stopped short of saying his firm would sue Miss USA or A Blaize Productions on Monday, saying only that his firm was “honored” to represent Boltinhouse ahead of “anticipated legal action.”
The N&O emailed Mincey on Tuesday to ask whether his firm will seek a temporary injunction to allow Boltinhouse to compete at Miss USA. Bell replied and wrote that Mincey Bell Rhoades “cannot at this time answer questions regarding legal strategy” but suggested the firm will take action soon.
“The national pageant will crown a winner on August 27,” Bell wrote. “They will hear from us before then.”
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This story was originally published August 11, 2026 at 1:39 PM.