Mrs World Caroline Jurie gives up crown after arrest over Sri Lanka beauty pageant

Jurie was seen forcibly removing the crown off the head of Pushpika De Silva, who had been crowned Mrs Sri Lanka 2020

Former Mrs World Caroline Jurie leaves the Chief Magistrates Court after being released on personal bail by the courts, in Colombo, Sri Lanka on April 19, 2021. Reuters

Mrs Sri Lanka 2020 Pushpika de Silva arrives at the Colombo court for the hearing over the incidents during the crowning of Mrs Sri Lanka beauty pageant, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. EPA

Mrs Sri Lanka 2020 Pushpika De Silva leaves the Chief Magistrates Court after a hearing for her complaint against the former Mrs World Caroline Jurie, after Jurie forcibly removed De Silva's crown at the pageant. Reuters

Former Mrs World Caroline Jurie leaves Cinnamon Gardens Police Station after being released on bail in Colombo, following her arrest on charges of assault over an on-stage fracas in which she pulled the crown off the head of the new Mrs Sri Lanka. AFP

Former Mrs World Caroline Jurie, forcibly removes the Mrs Sri Lanka winner Pushpika De Silva's crown as Jurie declared that the winner was ineligible because she was divorced, during the Mrs Sri Lanka pageant, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Reuters

Former Mrs World Caroline Jurie, left, removes the crown of 2021 winner Pushpika de Silva, centre, as she attempts to disqualify her over the accusation of being divorced, at a beauty pageant for married women in Colombo. AFP

Pushpika De Silva poses for photographs with her Mrs Sri Lanka crown after it was forcibly removed by Mrs World, Caroline Jurie at the Mrs Sri Lanka contest, in Colombo. Reuters

Caroline Jurie leaves Cinnamon Gardens Police Station after being released on bail in Colombo on April 8, 2021. AFP

Caroline Jurie is the former Mrs World 2020. Reuters

Caroline Jurie, centre, walks out of the Cinnamon Gardens Police station after being released on police bail in Colombo, Sri Lanka. EPA

Former Mrs World Caroline Jurie, centre, flanked by her lawyers walk out of the Cinnamon Gardens Police station. EPA

Organisers of the pageant took steps to restore the crown to Pushpika De Silva and requested Jurie to apologies for the incident. EPA

Winner of Mrs Sri Lanka 2020 Pushpika de Silva, centre, leaves Cinnamon Gardens Police Station in Colombo. AFP

The reigning Mrs World Caroline Jurie has given up her crown after she was arrested for her involvement in the controversy during the recent Mrs Sri Lanka 2020 beauty pageant.

In a video that has gone viral, she is seen snatching the crown off the head of Pushpika De Silva, who had been named the winner of the competition at Colombo's Nelum Pokuna theatre last Sunday.

Jurie claimed that De Silva was ineligible for the prize as she was divorced, and that the rules stipulate that all contestants must be married. However, while De Silva is estranged from her husband, the pair are still legally married.

Jurie’s surprise announcement sparked unruly scenes minutes after the chief guest, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's wife Shiranthi, had left the theatre.

In a post to Facebook, De Silva said she needed treatment at a hospital after the incident, seen by stunned spectators in a packed venue as well as a live social media audience.

On Thursday, Jurie was arrested and released on bail in relation to the incident. In a video posted to Instagram, she explained her decision to step away from the pageant, claiming it had been “tainted” by the crowning ceremony.

"I will always stand for what I believe is right," the former title-holder said in a video while wearing her crown and sash. "Every beauty pageant has a set of rules and regulations. What I was pushing for from the beginning was a fair stage. The rules and regulations are equal to all. Rules aren't there so that we can find loopholes so that we can win at any cost. I believe rules and regulations are there for a reason."

She continued, "The Mrs World pageant was not created to discriminate divorced or separated women but to celebrate the dreams of the married women." Jurie also implied that there were other pageants De Silva could have applied to as a separated woman.

"I know I burst a few bubbles, created conversation and even a discussion about class and values that a queen wearing a crown should stand for," Jurie said.

The former Mrs World stressed the importance of standing up for "values even if it means to stand alone in the front of disaster."

"My only intention was to stand up for the injustice caused to the competitors throughout this competition which was tainted with heavy politicisation," she said.

At the end of the clip, Jurie said, "I am now ready to hand over the crown," before removing the crown from her head.

She is expected to appear in court on Monday, April 19, according to the Associated Press.

Additional reporting by AFP