Dominic Smithers
A beauty pageant was interrupted when a very angry man stormed the stage and snatched the winner's crown.
Audience members watching on couldn't believe what they were seeing when Miss Gay Mato Grosso 2023, an 'LGBTQIAP+ beauty pageant' was brought to a halt over the weekend.
Seconds before proceedings were paused, Emannuelly Belini, who was representing the municipality of Várzea Grande, was seen standing alongside Nathally Becker, who was representing the city of Cuiabá.
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After a nervous wait, it was announced that Emannuelly had won the competition, leaving her visibly shocked by the result.
However, her special moment was brought to an immediate halt as a man clambered onto the stage and snatched her crown before smashing it on the ground.
A few moments later, he then picked it up again and threw it on the floor.
Stunned by what they've just seen, Nathally is then ushered backstage while the man is taken away by security.
The identity of the person responsible has not yet been revealed, however, it has been claimed in a local media report that it was in fact the husband of the competition's runner-up.
Following the bizarre incident, pageant coordinator Malone Haenisch said in a statement that the person who interrupted the announcement 'did not consider the result to be fair and caused all this inconvenience and damage'.
She said: "We vehemently condemn the incident that occurred at the time of the crowning of the elected Miss Várzea Grande.
"When the partner of Miss Cuiabá, who was classified in second place, invaded the stage and aggressively destroyed the crown."
But, despite claims that the judges weren't fair in their calling of the competition, Haenisch said everything was above board.
"We confirm the pageant jury’s choice and we sympathise with the elected Miss, as well as [Becker], as she is not responsible for the crazy attitudes of third parties," she added.
Haenisch also confirmed that Miss Gay Mato Grosso's legal team had been informed of that happened and planned on taking the 'necessary legal measures' as a result.
Congratulating Emannuelly for her well-deserved victory, Haenisch said she should be incredibly proud.
She added: "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.
"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."