Pushpika De Silva, the 2021 winner of the “Mrs Sri Lanka” beauty contest, recently wound up in the hospital with head injuries after a last-minute mix-up saw her crown yanked from her head and given to a runner-up.
Video of the incident initially shows De Silva crowned the pageant winner by Shrianthi Rajapaksa, the wife of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, after the runner-ups are presented. However, things took a turn for the worse when Mrs World 2020 Caroline Jurie announced that De Silva was divorced and as such did not meet the requirements to be a contestant.
"There is a rule that you all have to be married and not divorced. So, I am taking my first steps to say that the crown goes to the first runner-up," Jurie told the audience, before making her way to a very confused De Silva.
— Sri Lanka Tweet 🇱🇰 (@SriLankaTweet) April 5, 2021
After the crown was forcibly removed from a tearful De Silva, the shocked presumed winner walked off stage as the second place winner was handed the crown.
In the aftermath, De Silva was treated at a local hospital for head injuries that were caused by the crown removal. The contestant noted in a Facebook post that the incident was a complete “injustice and insult,” underscoring that she would be taking action in the matter.
De Silva also explained that while she was separated from her partner, she was not divorced. “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 wrote in a post.
A statement released by Mrs. World, Inc. labeled the weekend events as an “unfortunate incident” that has “deeply disturbed” officials associated with the organization, adding that Jurie’s behavior is regrettable.
“[Jurie’s] actions goes [sic] against the Mrs. Sri Lanka code of conduct and the predetermined regulations she is obliged to follow during her reign,” the statement reads, noting that Jurie will be called on to “issue a personal statement apologizing for her conduct.”
An investigation into the events has since been launched and De Silva has been recrowned as the pageant’s official winner. It’s unclear what repercussions may result from the ongoing probe.
