A beauty pageant was cut short over the weekend when one furious man stormed the stage and smashed the winner's crown.
Miss Gay Mato Grosso 2023, an 'LGBTQIAP+ beauty pageant' came to a stand-still on Saturday (27 May) just as contestant Emannuelly Belini was named the winner. Take a look:
Moments before the drama kicked off at the Brazilian pageant, Emannuelly, representing the municipality of Várzea Grande, stood on stage hand-in-hand with competitor Nathally Becker, who was representing the city of Cuiabá, as they waited for the winner to be announced.
When Emannuelly was named the winner of the competition, she cupped her hands over her face and leaned over in shock.
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As soon as she composed herself and prepared to be crowned with her tiara, a furious man clambered onto the stage and seized it before slamming it on the floor.
While the man is yet to be publicly identified, local media outlet Globo has reported that he was runner-up Nathally's husband.
Seemingly upset that his partner didn't take home the crown, the man picked up the tiara once again and slammed it on the ground, smashing it into pieces.
Nathally, who appeared frozen in shock, was then pulled backstage by her husband before security got a hold of him.
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It is understood that the competition at this year's pageant was absolutely fierce, and it was a close call between the two finalists.
In a statement released by pageant coordinator Malone Haenisch, it was said that the man 'did not consider the result to be fair and caused all this inconvenience and damage'.
"We vehemently condemn the incident that occurred at the time of the crowning of the elected Miss Várzea Grande," she went on.
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"When the partner of Miss Cuiabá, who was classified in second place, invaded the stage and aggressively destroyed the crown."
Haenisch insisted that the Miss Gay Mato Grosso judges were fair in their decision.
She said: "We confirm the pageant jury’s choice and we sympathize with the elected Miss, as well as [Becker], as she is not responsible for the crazy attitudes of third parties."
The organizer added that Miss Gay Mato Grosso's legal team 'has been informed' of the incident and will be taking 'necessary legal measures'.
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The statement concluded with a congratulatory message for Emannuelly for taking home the coveted award.
"The Miss Mato Grosso Gay pageant team congratulates Miss Várzea Grande, Emannuelly Belini, elected Miss Gay Mato Grosso 2023 on the night of 27 May,” she said.
"We reiterate our best wishes and wish you a glamorous reign, and that your activities may reflect the voice and desires of the LGBTQIAP+ community."
Topics: World News, Beauty, LGBTQ
Ali Condon