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Former Miss Virginia Brittany Nicole Poteet Charged With Assaulting Boyfriend

Miss Virginia USA Nikki Poteet 2011
Miss Virginia USA Nikki Poteet onstage during the 2011 Miss USA pageant on June 6, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada.David Becker/FilmMagic

Miss Virginia USA 2011 Brittany Nicole Poteet has been charged with assaulting her boyfriend, Wade McKenzie, according to News.au.com.

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The beauty queen, 29, appeared in the Downing Centre local court in Sydney, Australia, on Wednesday, January 11. McKenzie has taken out an apprehended violence order — which protects victims of domestic violence — against Poteet.

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In 2011, during her reign as Miss Virginia, Poteet made headlines when she was accused of verbally attacking her gay roommate and using a homophobic slur, which she vehemently denied. Ultimately, she was asked to give up her title after she posted a photo of herself wearing her crown on Facebook with the caption, “Miss Alcoholic USA.” At the time, the director of the Miss United States Pageant Organization, Chris Wilbur, told NBC, “[Poteet’s] character was not a good fit for the organization, so we gave her the option to change or leave. She chose to leave.”

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In 2013, she was also charged with misdemeanor assault and battery against a former boyfriend, James McElroy. The case was dismissed when the prosecutor asked McElroy what happened, and he said he couldn’t remember. Since her reign as Miss Virginia USA came to an abrupt end, she has been living in Australia and working in human resources at an engineering and renewable energy firm.

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