Pinag-usapan ng mga pageant fans sa buong mundo ang kontrobersiyal na crowning moment ni Pushpika De Silva.
Tulad ni Pia Wurtzbach, muntik nang mawala kay De Silva ang Mrs. Sri Lanka World 2020 crown and title dahil binawi ito ng kanyang predecessor na si Caroline Jurie.
Nangyari sa Colombo, ang commercial capital ng Sri Lanka, noong Linggo, April 4, 2021, ang televised coronation night ng beauty pageant para sa mga misis.
Si De Silva ang nanalo, pero inagaw ni Jurie ang korona na nakaputong sa kanyang ulo.
Pinaratangan ni Jurie na diborsyada si De Silva kaya hindi ito karapat-dapat na magwagi.
Bago ang pang-aagaw sa korona ni De Silva, nagsalita muna si Jurie sa harap ng audience at sinabi niyang may batas na hindi puwedeng sumali sa contest ang mga hiwalay sa asawa kaya gagawa siya ng paraan para maibigay ang korona sa first runner-up winner.
Gaya ng video ng 64th Miss Universe, kung saan ang pambato nating si Pia ang nagwagi, mabilis ding nag-viral ang video ng kontrobersiyal na eksena sa Mrs. Sri Lanka World 2020.
Nakamit ni De Silva ang hustisya nitong Huwebes, April 8, dahil ibinalik sa kanya ang crown.
Inaresto naman ng Sri Lankan Police si Jurie kasama ang model na si Chula Padmendra na tumulong sa pag-aalis ng korona mula sa ulo ng rightful winner.
Sa pamamagitan ng isang Facebook post kahapon, April 7, pinasalamatan ni De Silva ang lahat ng mga sumuporta sa kanya.
Heto ang kanyang mahabang mensahe (published as is):
"My dear Sri Lankan and friends around the world, I call you all..,First of all, from the unexpected event at the Married Beauty Queen final till now, a word for me from the National Director, Hon 'ble Judiciary Board, Hon' ble Mrs Rosi Senanayake, Rishini, national as well as international, who stood for fairness.
"Ho, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you who supported me.
"I don't hate anyone and I've forgiven those who did that to me at the same moment. Nothing can be won by hate.
"I was trying to use my mother tongue Sinhala throughout this tournament. I used the English language when necessary.
"There is no ban on the married beauty queen from using her mother tongue in this tournament. This is the identity and pride of my country. But even that pointed out the faults of some of the people at the top of this game. I conquered through so many such problems.
"At today's press conference I posted many comments about woman, divorced woman, isolated mothers and children, and more.
"But all that aside, there's a lot of talk coming up now about a future political journey that was one question, I have to mention something about it.
"At this moment people expect me to play the role of a married beauty queen, not a political character.
"I'm at this moment, representing Sri Lanka aside everything else and making my full commitment to win the crown in the upcoming married beauty queen tournament."
Samantala, isa pang pageant boo-boo ang inalala kamakailan ng naging host ng 64th Miss Universe na ginanap sa Las Vegas, Nevada noong December 20, 2015.
Halos anim na taon na ang nakalilipas pero hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin ito nalilimutanni Steve Harvey, ang sikat na American television host at comedian.
Ang kandidata ng Pilipinas na si Pia Wurtzbach ang tunay na nanalong Miss Universe noong 2015.
Pero ang pangalan ni Ariadna Gutierrez ng Colombia ang binasa ni Steve dahil iyon ang nakasulat sa card na ibinigay sa kanya ng organizer.
Agad na itinuwid ni Steve ang pagkakamali nito, pero hindi ito sapat para hindi siya maging biktima ng mga batikos sa insidenteng mahirap makalimutan dahil milyun-milyon ang nanood at dokumentado pa ng mga viral video.
"It was a painful [expletive] night there, dog. Oh god. I didn't know the pain I was in. I didn't know how bad the mistake was," ang pahayag ni Harvey sa guesting niya noong Miyerkules sa premiere episode ng Comedy Gold Minds, ang programa ni Kevin Hart sa SiriusXM Laugh Out Loud Radio.
"After I announced the second runner up, the teleprompter said, ‘And the new 2015 Miss Universe is...’ The dude in my ear said, ‘Read the next name on the card, Steve. Hold, hold, hold.’ I looked at the next card. I said, ‘Miss Colombia!’" ang bahagi ng kuwento ni Steve.
Nung mga sandaling iyon, nakatanggap pa raw siya ng papuri na, "Good job Steve, go to the back," pero isa sa mga handler niya ang nagsabi na maling pangalan ng winner ang kanyang sinabi sa beauty pageant na live na napanood sa international television.
"I said, man, the f*ck you talking about? I didn't say the wrong name, I read the name that was on the f*cking card.’
"He said, 'Man, they put a third name on the card.’ I said, 'B---h, ain't nobody told me!’" ang pakli ni Steve kay Hart tungkol sa pangyayari na kanyang ikinagalit dahil gusto niya na bumalik sa stage para itama ang pagkakamali, pero sinabihan siya ng mga in charge sa programa na kinabukasan na lamang gagawin sa diyaryo ang pagtutuwid sa malaking kapalpakan.
"I said, 'That's bullsn*t. This lady deserves her crown. I took my stupid a$s back out there. I should have let them announce it the next day in the newspaper. I wouldn’t have caught none of the hell I caught.”
Ikinuwento rin ni Steve kay Hart ang pambabato sa gate ng bahay niya sa Atlanta ng mga taong galit na galit dahil siya ang sinisisi sa kahihiyan na naranasan ni Ariadna.
"It was the headline in every country. And it was the worst week of my life in show business. I mean, them boys was driving by my house.
"I lived in Atlanta, had a little gate in front of my house. They was throwing rocks over the gate with notes on it.
"You know, it was calling me names. I don't know Spanish, but I know 'p--a,' they call you 'p--a' a lot of times. I know that ain't good because it was ‘p--a’ in all the notes and all the texts,” ang pagbabalik-alaala ni Steve tungkol sa kanyang traumatic experience.