Miss Japan winner apologises after she’s forced to give up crown over affair with married man
The reigning Miss Japan has been forced to give up her victory crown after she was discovered to have had an affair with a married man.
Only two weeks after being awarded the prestigious award, Ukraine-born Karolina Shiino has now been forced to apologise for her behaviour, which reportedly doesn't align with the strict values of the pageant.
And though organisers of the awards had initially defended her behaviour, claiming Shiino had no idea her lover was in a committed relationship, they later confessed to having a full awareness of the affair and demanded the prize back.
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News of the scandalous romance with the unnamed married influencer was broken by a local publication, the Shukan Bunshun.
The Japan Association subsequently claimed she'd apologised for misleading organisers of the event.
They later said in a statement: "Today, February 5th, we received a request from Karolina Shiino, who won the Miss Japan Grand Prix, to decline the award due to personal circumstances.
"We sincerely accept our responsibility for causing a series of incidents. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to the sponsors who supported the competition, the teachers who served as judges, and everyone involved.
"I sincerely apologise."
Shiino's initial win sparked a colossal debate in the pageant world over her heritage, after some spectators welcomed the naturalised citizen while others claimed she was unable to represent traditional Japanese beauty ideals.
Some posts on social media hit out at the beauty for being 'ethnically 0% Japanese', being that she 'wasn't even born in Japan'.
On 22 January, however, the star - who was therefore the first person of European descent to be given the honour - was crowned.
"I had not been accepted as Japanese many times, but I am filled with gratitude to have been recognised as Japanese today," Shiino - who has spoken and written in Japanese since moving there from the Ukraine at the age of five - said in her acceptance speech at the time.
"There have been racial barriers, and it has been challenging to be accepted as Japanese."
Despite the impressive accolade, Shiino herself - who took on her Japanese step-father's name after first moving there - has now been forced to release a statement of regret, apologising for her controversial behaviour.
"I am truly sorry for the huge trouble I have caused and for betraying those who supported me," she said.
The position of Miss Japan is now up for grabs, being that there were several runners-up, though whether organisers will fill the role is still being debated.
Rhianna Benson