Emily Mack
The 2021 Mrs. Sri Lanka pageant was a hot mess. As Pushpika De Silva was crowned the new Mrs. Sri Lanka last week, the current Mrs. World Caroline Jurie ripped the bedazzled crown right off her head — insisting that De Silva was a divorcee and thus not eligible. What came next was chaos: crying, hugging, catty fighting, fist-pumping, and apparent “skull injuries.”
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A Beauty Pageant Gone Horribly Awry
The 2021 Mrs. Sri Lanka pageant took place on April 4 in the capitol city of Colombo. During the grand finale, contestant Pushpika De Silva was crowned the official winner. Caroline Jurie, the reigning Mrs. World 2020 and former Mrs. Sri Lanka 2020, did the honors, as is customary, and placed the large glittering crown on De Silva’s head. But just moments later, Jurie rushed back to the center of the stage — mic in hand — announcing that since Mrs. Sri Lanka must be married and not divorced, she was taking it upon herself to bestow the title on the first runner-up.
Jurie then forcibly removed the crown from De Silva’s head, with eager help from another contestant, Chula Padmendra. The runner-up accepted the crown excitedly, weeping tears of joy, as De Silva awkwardly stormed offstage, crown-less. Jurie and Padmendra then triumphantly pumped their arms in the air, signaling victory while the newly crowned contestant basked in the glory. Watch the shocking footage from the Colombo Gazette above.
The organizers of the event, however, have rightfully re-named De Silva as the pageant winner. Single or not, she is the official winner of Mrs. Sri Lanka. The national director of Mrs. Sri Lanka World Chandimal Jayasinghe told BBC: “We are disappointed. It was a disgrace how Caroline Jurie behaved on the stage and the Mrs. World organization has already begun an investigation on the matter.”
Is Pushpika De Silva Married?
The Sri Lankan beauty queen debacle quickly became trending content. (We can see why.) So winner Pushpika De Silva took to social media to defend herself. She explained that although she is separated from her husband:
“I’m not a divorce woman. I say with great responsibility that I am not a divorce woman even at this moment of writing. If I was a divorce, I would dare them to submit my divorce scripts. I haven’t hidden from the world that I’m with my child. I also have personal reasons to be that way. But, being apart is one. Divorce is something else. I’m still an un divorced woman.”
De Silva’s husband Thilanka Dabarera, on the other hand, claimed in his own Facebook post that he has been split from Pushpika for four years and that the divorce will be finalized soon. The Daily Mirror reported that the former couple’s case is set to be reviewed in court for this summer. Should the divorce be completed, De Silva will no longer be a married woman and will not be eligible to compete in the upcoming Mrs. World competition, scheduled for December 2021.
Criminal Charges
Mrs. World Caroline Jurie and her helper, contestant Chula Padmendra were arrested on Thursday, four days after the disastrous Mrs. Sri Lanka contest. According to police spokesperson Ajith Rohana, they are being held on “charges of simple hurt and criminal cause.”
So far, it seems clear that Pushpika De Silva will be pursuing legal action against the tacky pair, citing head injuries. In her lengthy Facebook post, De Silva expounded on the physical pain of the inflected “injuries to [her] skull” writing:
“The pain of my skull when my crown was snatched from my head by the world married beauty queen, the pain I felt when I lost the crown is more than both “.. Mother’s head is injured right..? Does it hurt mom?” I can’t bear the pain I feel when my son listens.”
