Mrs World 2020: Irish runner-up gets title as Caroline Jurie quits after Mrs Sri Lanka row

After the reigning Mrs. World, Caroline Jurie, resigned over the Mrs. Sri Lanka pageant on-stage fracas, first runner-up Kate Schneider from Ireland was bestowed with the title of Mrs. World 2020. Mrs. World Inc. announced in a statement on Wednesday that it received the resignation of Caroline Jurie, and therefore, Mrs. Ireland Kate Schneider was the new titleholder. The agency published a photograph of Schneider with the title Mrs. World. Jurie was involved in a controversy at the Mrs. Sri Lanka pageant after she aggressively pulled the crown off the head of the title winner Pushpika De Silva, inuring her at a ceremony on national TV. 

The former Mrs. World alleged that De Silva was ineligible for the crown as she was divorced and had concealed the details from the jury. Police in Sri Lanka arrested Jurie for hurting Pushpika De Silva in Columbo and released her on bail later. The incident attracted global flak, as people flooded social media with appeals to take the Mrs. World title from Jurie back. During a ceremony televised nationally, Jurie had accused de Silva saying that she was a divorcee and only married women were qualified to become Mrs. Sri Lanka, although, the claim was contested by Mrs. Sri Lanka later who confirmed that she was, in fact, separated. After de silva took a legal course against the insult and the injury she sustained, Columbo police announced in a statement, “We took Mrs. Jurie and Chula Padmendra into custody.” Cops took the former Mrs. World under custody for damaging the property at the pageant venue, Nelum Pokuna Theatre, and for injuring de Silva.

"Her voluntary resignation decision was made solely by Caroline herself," Mrs World Inc said in a statement. 

Relinquished her title

Mrs. World Inc announced that the title was given to the runner-up in the 2020 contest, which Jurie had won, and her conduct was under review by the country's pageant organizers. The agency informed officially that Jurie had relinquished her title in its entirety. meanwhile, the Sri Lankan title winner Jurie defended her actions saying that she was standing against “injustice” and that Mrs. Sri Lankan pageant was “tainted”. She stressed that she was only ensuring that each candidate had equal opportunity. Being apart is one. Divorce is something else,” she wrote in a Facebook post. 

De Silva explained in a Facebook post, that she was not a divorced woman, and if at all there were doubts surrounding her marital status, she should not have been allowed to “come so far," and should have been disqualified during initial rounds. She added that it was a moment of great insult for her as a single mother to have the crown, which was placed by Mrs. World 7 minutes ago snatched from her head in front of everyone’s eyes.

“Even though my crown has been snatched in front of everyone, I will keep my head straight at this moment,” de Silva said.  She added, “This is a historical moment for me as a single woman when women and men all over the world have raised their voice for me.” Social media raised calls for honouring De Silva once again and she was given the crown back in a small ceremony organized after the incident.