The Miss USA organization is standing its ground against a lawsuit filed by a former pageant winner.
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Brittany Boltinhouse filed a defamation lawsuit against the Miss USA organization, which stripped her of her crown after social media posts of her using racial slurs between 2017 and 2019 resurfaced.
Miss USA chairman Thom Brodeur said the decision to dethrone Boltinhouse on Aug. 5 was made because the organization "does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia, nor language that strips any person of their dignity."
Boltinhouse filed a defamation lawsuit with the organization, Brodeur, and the North Carolina pageant operators listed as defendants. Boltinhouse filed the complaint in Duplin County Superior Court in North Carolina, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE.
Disgraced Pageant Winner Files Lawsuit Against Miss USA Organization
The 27-year-old entrepreneur accuses the Miss USA organization of portraying her as homophobic and racist, which she believes could damage her reputation. Boltinhouse is not challenging the organization's decision to strip her title.
Brodeur and the Miss USA organization have challenged Boltinhouse's defamation claims, arguing that the public statement announcing her removal did not name her or directly accuse her of being racist.
The organization also argues that Boltinhouse's acknowledgement of the damning social media posts undermines her defamation lawsuit.
Boltinhouse won the Miss North Carolina USA title in June 2026. She was expected to compete in the national Miss USA pageant in August before the controversial social media posts resurfaced.
Miss USA Organization Fires Back at Former Pageant Winner
The Miss USA organization not only refutes the defamation lawsuit but has taken legal action to have it dismissed.
PEOPLE reported that the Miss USA organization on Nov. 2 filed a motion to dismiss Boltinhouse's case. They contend the Aug. 5 announcement to strip her title was not defamatory.
"The Brodeur Statement is not defamatory as a matter of law. Because it does not state actual facts about Plaintiff," the motion reads. "The Brodeur Statement does not contain any statement that Plaintiff is a racist, homophobe, transphobe, or bigot."
Boltinhouse seeks financial compensation for alleged damage to her reputation, as well as lost professional opportunities.
