The reigning Mrs. World, Caroline Jurie, was arrested for allegedly injuring Mrs. Sri Lanka, Pushpika de Silva, after pulling the crown from her head during Sunday's event.
De Silva was reportedly admitted into hospital after sustaining head injuries, Times Now reported. As a result, Jurie and model Chula Manamendra, who backed Jurie on stage, were taken into custody on Thursday.
"We have arrested Jurie and Chula Manamendra in connection with a charge of assault and causing damage to the Nelum Pokuna (theatre)," said senior police official Ajith Rohana.
The incident took place shortly after de Silva was crowned Mrs Sri Lanka. In video footage posted by Colombo Gazette, Jurie, who previously held the title, walks onto the stage with a microphone and states that she would be giving the crown to the runner-up as de Silva is divorced and not eligible for the prize.
In order to qualify, contestants must be married. De Silva is separated from her husband but they are still legally married.
"There is a rule that prevents women who have already been married and are divorced, so I am taking steps to make the crown go to second place," Jurie says in the video. She then tries to remove the crown from de Silva, who is visibly shocked. After struggling for several seconds she is able to pull the crown off.
In a Facebook post, de Silva explained to her fans that she was not divorced.
"As of this writing, I responsibly state that I am not a divorced woman," she stated. "If I am divorced, I challenge them to submit my divorce papers. I have not hidden from the world that I am with my child. I also have personal reasons for staying that way. But, separation is one thing. Divorce is a separate matter. I'm not divorced yet."
De Silva added that she had taken the "necessary legal action for the injustice and insult" that occurred.
"Finally, I would say that a real queen is not a woman who snatches another woman's crown, but a woman who secretly sets the other woman's crown," she added.
Speaking about the incident, de Silva said she had tried to resolve the matter outside of court but claimed Jurie refused.
"I can forgive, but not forget," she said.
Several backstage dressing rooms were allegedly smashed during the incident and organizers said they were claiming compensation from Jurie for that as well as for causing damage to the stage. They further accused her of bringing disrepute to the event.
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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