4 mins. ago
A pageant queen recently crowned Miss North Carolina USA has been stripped of her ****** le after a string of alleged racist posts resurfaced.
Brittany Boltinhouse, 27, was formally dethroned on Wednesday by pageant organizers A Blaize Productions after what it said was "a thorough review of recently surfaced information".
The organization did not disclose what Boltinhouse had allegedly posted but said the decision had been taken after "careful consideration, multiple conversations, and in consultation with the Miss USA Organization".
The organization said it believes "people are capable of growth" and that "grace and accountability can coexist" but the organization must also uphold the standards and values expected of ****** leholders.
Boltinhouse won the ****** le in June and has been preparing to represent North Carolina at the 75th annual Miss USA pageant in Miami later this month.
#organization
Brittany Boltinhouse, 27, was formally dethroned on Wednesday by pageant organizers A Blaize Productions after what it said was "a thorough review of recently surfaced information".
The organization did not disclose what Boltinhouse had allegedly posted but said the decision had been taken after "careful consideration, multiple conversations, and in consultation with the Miss USA Organization".
The organization said it believes "people are capable of growth" and that "grace and accountability can coexist" but the organization must also uphold the standards and values expected of ****** leholders.
Boltinhouse won the ****** le in June and has been preparing to represent North Carolina at the 75th annual Miss USA pageant in Miami later this month.
#organization
1 hr. ago
Just weeks after being crowned Miss North Carolina USA, Brittany Boltinhouse has been stripped of the ******* le, organizers announced on Aug. 5.
A Blaize Productions, which holds the state license for the Miss North Carolina USA pageant, said in a social media statement that the decision "followed a thorough review of recently surfaced information."
"This decision was not made lightly," the statement added.
Thom Brodeur, CEO of Miss USA, also confirmed Boltinhouse's exit in a statement.
Neither Brodeur – who acquired the rights to Miss USA in September 2025, a year after the pageant was rocked by allegations of mistreatment under the previous leadership – nor A Blaize Productions detailed the reason for Boltinhouse's removal.
#carolina #pageant #brittany
A Blaize Productions, which holds the state license for the Miss North Carolina USA pageant, said in a social media statement that the decision "followed a thorough review of recently surfaced information."
"This decision was not made lightly," the statement added.
Thom Brodeur, CEO of Miss USA, also confirmed Boltinhouse's exit in a statement.
Neither Brodeur – who acquired the rights to Miss USA in September 2025, a year after the pageant was rocked by allegations of mistreatment under the previous leadership – nor A Blaize Productions detailed the reason for Boltinhouse's removal.
#carolina #pageant #brittany
1 hr. ago
Brittany Boltinhouse has been dethroned just weeks after being crowned Miss North Carolina USA.
Miss USA Organization chairman and CEO Thom Brodeur announced Wednesday that Boltinhouse, 27, was stripped of her ******* le after what he described as conduct that violated the organization's standards discovered in a "thorough review of recently surfaced information."
Although Brodeur did not specify the conduct, he said the pageant "does not tolerate racism, ******* phobia, transphobia nor language that strips any person of their dignity — whoever they are."
"This is not a policy written for a press release, it is the floor of what it means to represent this brand," the statement said. "A ******* le here isn't a trinket. It is a position of trust, extended by an organization and accepted by a woman who agrees to carry a standard in public."
He continued: "When that standard is broken, the ******* le cannot continue as though nothing happened. What was brought to us was not a single moment. It reflected conduct over an extended period of time."
#brodeur
Miss USA Organization chairman and CEO Thom Brodeur announced Wednesday that Boltinhouse, 27, was stripped of her ******* le after what he described as conduct that violated the organization's standards discovered in a "thorough review of recently surfaced information."
Although Brodeur did not specify the conduct, he said the pageant "does not tolerate racism, ******* phobia, transphobia nor language that strips any person of their dignity — whoever they are."
"This is not a policy written for a press release, it is the floor of what it means to represent this brand," the statement said. "A ******* le here isn't a trinket. It is a position of trust, extended by an organization and accepted by a woman who agrees to carry a standard in public."
He continued: "When that standard is broken, the ******* le cannot continue as though nothing happened. What was brought to us was not a single moment. It reflected conduct over an extended period of time."
#brodeur
2 days ago
Before they became household names, these Hollywood stars were already turning heads on the pageant stage. Competing in beauty contests helped them develop the confidence, poise and stage presence that would later serve them in the spotlight. Here are 11 A-listers who traded crowns and sashes for successful careers in entertainment.
MEGA
Before becoming a household name, Michelle Pfeiffer's early participation in beauty pageants helped launch her storied career and gave her the confidence to shine on and off the silver screen. At just 19 years old, she entered the Miss Orange County Beauty Pageant in 1978, which led to a Hollywood agent discovering her talent, as reported by the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Pfeiffer's journey from glamour contests to starring roles is a classic tale of beauty, talent and ambition coming together under the spotlight.
MEGA
As the first Black woman crowned Miss America, Vanessa Williams triumphed over challenges and redefined what it meant to be a beauty queen in the spotlight. She made history on September 17, 1983, becoming the first African-American woman to win the ******* le in the pageant's 63-year history, according to History.com. Williams transformed her pageant platform into a powerful launching pad, building a decades-long career as both a celebrated musician and lauded actress.
#stage
MEGA
Before becoming a household name, Michelle Pfeiffer's early participation in beauty pageants helped launch her storied career and gave her the confidence to shine on and off the silver screen. At just 19 years old, she entered the Miss Orange County Beauty Pageant in 1978, which led to a Hollywood agent discovering her talent, as reported by the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Pfeiffer's journey from glamour contests to starring roles is a classic tale of beauty, talent and ambition coming together under the spotlight.
MEGA
As the first Black woman crowned Miss America, Vanessa Williams triumphed over challenges and redefined what it meant to be a beauty queen in the spotlight. She made history on September 17, 1983, becoming the first African-American woman to win the ******* le in the pageant's 63-year history, according to History.com. Williams transformed her pageant platform into a powerful launching pad, building a decades-long career as both a celebrated musician and lauded actress.
#stage
6 days ago
Katrina Llegado, a military reservist in the Philippine Air Force, won the 17th Miss Supranational pageant in Poland
This year's pageant introduced the Fioletowa Crown, featuring purple gemstones
Contestants competed in evening wear, swimsuit, and national costume rounds showcasing their countries' cultural heritage
Miss Supranational has crowned its new winner!
On Thursday, July 31, the organization hosted the 17th edition of an international pageant at Strzelecki Park Amphitheater in Nowy Sącz, Poland, where 67 contestants competed for the ***** le. This year, the pageant's theme was the "Festival of Beauty."
Katrina Llegado, who was Miss Supranational Philippines 2026, took home the ***** le, with last year's winner, Eduarda Braum, 23, bestowing the crown on her successor.
Eduarda Braum.
Credit: Eduarda Braum/Instagram
#eduarda #braum #Poland #crown
This year's pageant introduced the Fioletowa Crown, featuring purple gemstones
Contestants competed in evening wear, swimsuit, and national costume rounds showcasing their countries' cultural heritage
Miss Supranational has crowned its new winner!
On Thursday, July 31, the organization hosted the 17th edition of an international pageant at Strzelecki Park Amphitheater in Nowy Sącz, Poland, where 67 contestants competed for the ***** le. This year, the pageant's theme was the "Festival of Beauty."
Katrina Llegado, who was Miss Supranational Philippines 2026, took home the ***** le, with last year's winner, Eduarda Braum, 23, bestowing the crown on her successor.
Eduarda Braum.
Credit: Eduarda Braum/Instagram
#eduarda #braum #Poland #crown
6 days ago
Summer keeps rolling on, far faster than we'd like it to. June brought the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup. July followed with Wimbledon, Tour de France and World Cup pageantry. Now comes August (and Everything After).
The month ahead is extensive. There are Little League World Series in baseball and softball, and Hall of Fame inductions in football and basketball. Soccer leagues commence while MLB moves toward its homestretch. The Seattle Seahawks lace up for "Hard Knocks" as the "Ted Lasso" crew returns after a three-year absence. And the Dutch Grand Prix says farewell at Zandvoort.
Here is The Athletic's grand guide to August. It's not a complete list of every sporting event, but we try to cover a lot of ground. All times are ET, and all channel listings are for U.S. viewers.
You can watch live sports on Fubo (Stream Free Now).
Aug. 2, 7 a.m. on USA Network and noon on NBC
#tour
The month ahead is extensive. There are Little League World Series in baseball and softball, and Hall of Fame inductions in football and basketball. Soccer leagues commence while MLB moves toward its homestretch. The Seattle Seahawks lace up for "Hard Knocks" as the "Ted Lasso" crew returns after a three-year absence. And the Dutch Grand Prix says farewell at Zandvoort.
Here is The Athletic's grand guide to August. It's not a complete list of every sporting event, but we try to cover a lot of ground. All times are ET, and all channel listings are for U.S. viewers.
You can watch live sports on Fubo (Stream Free Now).
Aug. 2, 7 a.m. on USA Network and noon on NBC
#tour
22 days ago
The 2026 MLB All-Star Game will not go down in history as one of the most memorable Midsummer Classics in the near-century-long history of the event. Highlights on the field were few and far between, broadcast debacles and poorly-executed ideas compromised the viewing experience, and several distracting pieces of vaguely baseball-themed pageantry bloated the presentation of a contest which would have otherwise flown by.
But for our decidedly narrower purposes here at Pinstripe Alley, the game was a splendid success. The American League defeated the National League 4-0 at Citizens Bank Park, fueled by a first-inning rally which was paid off by both Yankees representatives in John Schneider’s starting lineup. The man who drove in the first two runs, Cody Bellinger, was eventually named All-Star Game MVP, the fourth Yankee to ever win the honor. The AL pitching staff limited the NL to just three hits all night in a tidy victory for the Junior Circuit.
The game was listed as beginning at 8pm ET, but fans needn’t have worried about missing the first pitch, which came almost a full half-hour later. All the pomp and circumstance gave way to a dream start for the AL—and the little Yankee contingent nestled within their starting lineup. Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez received the opportunity to start the All-Star Game on his home mound, but he may have been a bit nervous. His command was sporadic as the AL built a rally on a Yordan Alvarez single and a pair of walks. With two outs, Cody Bellinger came up with an opportunity to stake his side to an early advantage.
There are more ideal scenarios to face Bellinger than with two runners in scoring position and a left-handed pitcher on the mound.
View Link
But for our decidedly narrower purposes here at Pinstripe Alley, the game was a splendid success. The American League defeated the National League 4-0 at Citizens Bank Park, fueled by a first-inning rally which was paid off by both Yankees representatives in John Schneider’s starting lineup. The man who drove in the first two runs, Cody Bellinger, was eventually named All-Star Game MVP, the fourth Yankee to ever win the honor. The AL pitching staff limited the NL to just three hits all night in a tidy victory for the Junior Circuit.
The game was listed as beginning at 8pm ET, but fans needn’t have worried about missing the first pitch, which came almost a full half-hour later. All the pomp and circumstance gave way to a dream start for the AL—and the little Yankee contingent nestled within their starting lineup. Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez received the opportunity to start the All-Star Game on his home mound, but he may have been a bit nervous. His command was sporadic as the AL built a rally on a Yordan Alvarez single and a pair of walks. With two outs, Cody Bellinger came up with an opportunity to stake his side to an early advantage.
There are more ideal scenarios to face Bellinger than with two runners in scoring position and a left-handed pitcher on the mound.
View Link
1 month ago
The crowning ceremony took place at the FIU Jewish Museum of Florida and was attended by the president of the Miss Israel Organization, Joseph Shine, and Miss Universe Israel 2024 Ofir Korsia.
Danielle Yablonka was crowned Miss Universe Israel 2026 by the Miss Israel Organization on Friday, after the pageant has recently been marred by controversy over the competition's legitimacy.
The crowning ceremony took place at the FIU Jewish Museum of Florida and was attended by the president of the Miss Israel Organization, Joseph Shine, and Miss Universe Israel 2024 Ofir Korsia.
Yablonka previously competed in the Miss Universe Israel 2025 pageant and was crowned First Runner-Up.
In a statement regarding Yablonka's crowning, the Miss Israel Organization explained that due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Miss Israel pageant was not held.
Danielle Yablonka was crowned Miss Universe Israel 2026 by the Miss Israel Organization on Friday, after the pageant has recently been marred by controversy over the competition's legitimacy.
The crowning ceremony took place at the FIU Jewish Museum of Florida and was attended by the president of the Miss Israel Organization, Joseph Shine, and Miss Universe Israel 2024 Ofir Korsia.
Yablonka previously competed in the Miss Universe Israel 2025 pageant and was crowned First Runner-Up.
In a statement regarding Yablonka's crowning, the Miss Israel Organization explained that due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Miss Israel pageant was not held.
2 months ago
Watching UFC Freedom 250 reminded me of what boxing has been getting so wrong of late.
There were so many defining images from the MMA market-leader’s signature show, that it was hard to keep track of them all.
It went beyond the U.S. Navy combining with the Air Force for a spectacular flyover of Blue Angels and Thunderbird jets, to U.S. President Donald Trump getting his own walkout alongside UFC boss Dana White. The pageantry would have meant little if the fights fizzled out, but each of the seven bouts all seemed to over-deliver. And it was all punctuated with American fighter, Justin Gaethje, pulling off the mother of all upsets by breaking Ilia Topuria’s face in two places.
But that’s not what stuck most with me, looking at the event from my boxing lens.
No, it was actually the introduction of the former heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, during a moment that over-promised and under-delivered.
There were so many defining images from the MMA market-leader’s signature show, that it was hard to keep track of them all.
It went beyond the U.S. Navy combining with the Air Force for a spectacular flyover of Blue Angels and Thunderbird jets, to U.S. President Donald Trump getting his own walkout alongside UFC boss Dana White. The pageantry would have meant little if the fights fizzled out, but each of the seven bouts all seemed to over-deliver. And it was all punctuated with American fighter, Justin Gaethje, pulling off the mother of all upsets by breaking Ilia Topuria’s face in two places.
But that’s not what stuck most with me, looking at the event from my boxing lens.
No, it was actually the introduction of the former heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, during a moment that over-promised and under-delivered.
2 months ago
At last, Thailand's trans men and masc-of-center lesbians are getting their moment in the sun — or in this case, on the stage. The Tom Thailand 2026 will be the country's first-ever beauty pageant uplifting masc-of-center lesbians, transmasculine people, and trans men.
Organized and owned by Bunnada Thippibal, known in many ******* es as Phi Lek, the pageant isn't just about presentation or suits; contestants will be judged based on their confidence, character, and self-expression. The novel Tom Thailand 2026 pageant was announced on June 15 during a press conference by Calypso Cabaret, trans performance group, at the Asiatique The Riverfront in Bangkok, per TimeOut Thailand.
Though the country is known for its beauty pageants, many of which uplift trans women and kathoey, a pre-colonial transfeminine gender identity specific to Thailand, there has never been such an event focusing on "toms," or masc-of-center lesbians and transmascs. Because Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia to have never been colonized by European countries, it has preserved its rich history of gender variance. The goal of the show is to put toms and trans men in the public eye, and highlight their excellence.
Joining Phi Lek will be Wilailak Sirisakhon as pageant director, as well as masters for the contest Anant Semathong, also known as Mae Uan Return, Winit Bunchaisri, and Thachai Prathumwan, a musician known as Keng. The competition will be hosted by social media creator Mod X and actor Thanaphol Khiaoorn. The coaching team will include Patitthaya Khwantrakun, Sumonrat and Piyawan Chuentako.
Organized and owned by Bunnada Thippibal, known in many ******* es as Phi Lek, the pageant isn't just about presentation or suits; contestants will be judged based on their confidence, character, and self-expression. The novel Tom Thailand 2026 pageant was announced on June 15 during a press conference by Calypso Cabaret, trans performance group, at the Asiatique The Riverfront in Bangkok, per TimeOut Thailand.
Though the country is known for its beauty pageants, many of which uplift trans women and kathoey, a pre-colonial transfeminine gender identity specific to Thailand, there has never been such an event focusing on "toms," or masc-of-center lesbians and transmascs. Because Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia to have never been colonized by European countries, it has preserved its rich history of gender variance. The goal of the show is to put toms and trans men in the public eye, and highlight their excellence.
Joining Phi Lek will be Wilailak Sirisakhon as pageant director, as well as masters for the contest Anant Semathong, also known as Mae Uan Return, Winit Bunchaisri, and Thachai Prathumwan, a musician known as Keng. The competition will be hosted by social media creator Mod X and actor Thanaphol Khiaoorn. The coaching team will include Patitthaya Khwantrakun, Sumonrat and Piyawan Chuentako.
8 months ago
A photo of Miss Finland sparks racist accusations and furor across Asia
HELSINKI, Finland (AP) — Finland’s government is facing heavy pressure and accusations of racism from several Asian countries after its representative to the 2025 Miss Universe pageant was seen pulling the corners of her eyes in a photo -- and some Finnish politicians posted their own photos repeating the gesture.
Sarah Dzafce lost her Miss Finland crown last week after a photo of Dzafce pulling the skin at the corners of her eyes posted on social media went viral late last month. The photo, and its caption reading “ea
HELSINKI, Finland (AP) — Finland’s government is facing heavy pressure and accusations of racism from several Asian countries after its representative to the 2025 Miss Universe pageant was seen pulling the corners of her eyes in a photo -- and some Finnish politicians posted their own photos repeating the gesture.
Sarah Dzafce lost her Miss Finland crown last week after a photo of Dzafce pulling the skin at the corners of her eyes posted on social media went viral late last month. The photo, and its caption reading “ea
