New Delhi: On Sunday during the Mrs. Sri Lanka beauty pageant the finale took a dramatic turn when moments after Pushpika De Silva was announced the winner for 2021 her crown was snatched away by the 2019 winner Caroline Jurie who claimed that De Silva was a 'divorcee'.
Jurie was heard telling audience that, “There is a rule that you have to be married and not divorced. So, I am taking my first step saying that the crown goes to the first runner-up.”
After her crown was taken from her, De Silva stormed out of the stage in tears. The first runner up was crowned the winner momentarily.
Later the organisers clarified that De Silva was separated from her husband but wasn't divorced, they apologized to her a renamed her winner. National director of Mrs Sri Lanka World, Chandimal Jayasinghe, told the BBC that the crown would be returned to De Silva.
Jaysinghe was quoted saying “It was a disgrace how Caroline Jurie behaved on the stage and the Mrs World organisation has already begun an investigation on the matter”.
In a Facebook post, De Silva stated that she was being treated for head injuries at a hospital and confirmed that she wasn't divorced but was separated from her husband. She added that she was going to take legal action for the unreasonable and insulting treatment.
According to the BBC report, in a press conference, De Silva dedicated her title to single mothers. “There are a lot of single mums like me today who are suffering in Sri Lanka. This crown is dedicated to those women, those single mums who are suffering to raise their kids alone.”