Confused over Contestant’s Marital Status, Crown Snatched from Winner on Stage

A Srilankan beauty pageant is under spotlight for a dramatic scene that played out on the stage when the winner’s crown was snatched in front of an audience. 

Pushpika De Silva won the Mrs Sri Lanka crown, minutes later, the former titleholder Caroline Jurie steps on the stage and announces that according to the rules the winner has to be married and not divorced.  

“There is a rule that you have to be married and not divorced, so I am taking my first steps, saying that the crown goes to the first runner-up”, Caroline announces on stage. 

She then steps forward and snatches the crown from the winner. The women on stage were seen forcibly removing the crown as well as rebuking Pushpika who appeared confused. 

A shocked Pushpika leaves the stage in tears. 

To clarify things, Pushpika De Silva took to Facebook and explained in Sinhala that she’s not divorced but separated from her husband. She also expressed that if they thought that she was not fit for the contest, they could’ve removed her at the beginning. 

Following this, the prize was rightfully returned to Pushpika by the pageant’s organizers at a news conference on Tuesday. She’ll now go on to compete in the Mrs World contest. 

This situation is an eye-opener that it is right to clarify and understand the truth about any situation before reacting on a public platform. It was also surprising to witness how the women on stage were treating Pushpika in an insensitive manner. 

The former Mrs. World Caroline Jurie and the concerned team behind the pageant could have handled this delicate situation with a little grace and maturity without humiliating the innocent contestant. It was after all a public event watched by thousands of viewers. 

The organizers did their part of apologizing to the contestant. Caroline Jurie however was not available after this episode for comment. 

National director of Mrs  Sri Lanka World, Chandimal Jayasinghe told BBC, “It was a disgrace how Caroline Jurie behaved on the stage and the Mrs. World organization has already begun an investigation on the matter.”

Pushpika De Silva said that she is being treated for head injuries at hospital and will take legal action against those responsible. 

“A true queen is not a woman who snatches another woman's crown, but a woman who secretly sets another woman's crown!!" De Silva said in her post.