Miss Sri Lanka New York denies rumours over brawl

Miss Sri Lanka New York Angelia Gunasekara has denied rumours spreading over social media regarding the much publicized fracas after the pageant that was captured on video and went viral.

In a Facebook post Miss Gunasekara appealed for people to stop spreading rumours and said that the fight had no connection to the pageant. She alleged that the dispute broke out between two persons who had been in the audience.

Miss Gunasekara denied rumours that the fight was between boyfriends of pageant contestants. She added that all 14 contestants of the pageant had “absolutely nothing to do with” the melee.

Earlier this month, the Sri Lankan diaspora in New York organised the Miss Sri Lanka New York pageant aimed at community building and collecting funds for Sri Lanka’s national cancer hospital, which is facing a shortage of equipment and medicine as the country reels under the present financial crisis.

However, the pageant on October 21 was clouded after videos emerged of a brawl between those who attended the event.

The videos showing Sri Lankan men in suits fighting, smashing glasses and damaging the venue’s property.