Sri Lanka beauty pageant winner suffers head wounds in melee over crown

A beauty queen contestant has won the title of Mrs Sri Lanka only to end up in the hospital with head wounds after Mrs World ripped off her crown in a snit to bestow it on the runner-up.

The ugly on-stage melee broke out moments after winning contestant Pushpika De Silva was awarded the title at a Colombo theater Sunday night, reports New York Post citing the outlet Time 24 News.

Mrs World Caroline Jurie, who is from Sri Lanka and was at the event, suddenly stormed on the stage and grabbed the microphone, claiming De Silva was actually divorced and thus disqualified from holding the title.

"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 told the stunned crowd.

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She then ripped the gold crown off De Silva's head and put it on the runner-up, prompting tears and chaos, outlets said.

De Silva had to be hospitalized for head injuries from her crown being ripped off, plus trauma, Time24 said, citing a local newspaper.

The contestant later posted a photo of herself in a hospital bed on her Facebook page, while denying she is divorced.

"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 …," De Silva wrote.

"I say a true queen is not a woman who snatches another woman's crown, but a woman who [helps straighten] another woman's crown!!

"I know you are expecting my response to the unexpected incident that happened. Even though I have a lot to say, I will post only the essential things here," De Silva said.

She acknowledged that she and her husband live apart but insisted, "I'm not a divorced woman."

She has since been formally re-declared the winner, according to Newsfirst.