MANILA -- It was in 2015 when Pia Wurtzbach made history not just as the Philippines' third Miss Universe winner, but also the first to be proclaimed in a controversial manner.

Her crowning moment involved an awkward moment with Colombia's Ariadna Gutierrez, who was mistakenly named Miss Universe by host Steve Harvey.

While Wurtzbach has accepted Harvey's apology and Gutierrez has already extended her congratulations, some cried foul over the embarrassment experienced by the Colombian beauty queen.

Some even went as far as floating the idea of having a "shared crown" between the two ladies.

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Over the five years since she was crowned, Wurtzbach's career flourished, with stints for endorsements, magazine covers, and showbiz projects both in the Philippines and abroad.

Similarly, Gutierrez took on her own path as a model and actress.

'LIKE A GHOST'

And just when everyone thought that all is well, the issue between Wurtzbach and Gutierrez surfaced once again in 2020, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

This as Gutierrez was quoted in a recent interview as saying that she never thought Wurtzbach would win Miss Universe, comparing her to a "ghost" that she and her fellow Latina candidates rarely saw throughout the competition.

"I actually saw her twice during the competition, once at the dining area and during rehearsals. But a person like a... a ghost! You see her and never again, like the exit signs! Nobody saw her," she said in Spanish, as translated by the local pageant website Pageanthology 101.

"I used to go with the Latinas but we sat with the Asians and I did not notice her," she added. "She was very solitary, too. I did not notice her and when I did, I did not think of her as my competition. That is the truth."

Many fans of Wurtzbach called out Gutierrez for being "bitter" as they expressed their support for the Filipina beauty queen.

Others, meanwhile, found the Colombian beauty queen's statements unnecessary.

MISS BULGARIA DEFENDS WURTZBACH

Staying true to her meme-worthy level of encouragement for Wurtzbach during the Miss Universe 2015 pageant, Miss Bulgaria Radostina Todorova took to social media to call out Gutierrez.

"Of course you didn't see her!" she said, as quoted by Entertainment News Portal. "I remember you were always laughing at us, at our clothes and jewelry, at our walk and talk. You were only with the other Latinas looking down on us!"

"I stand behind my words and that's why we were all so happy Pia won," she went on. "You need to be beautiful inside and out, not only looking like a Victoria's Secret model and act like the queen of England! You will never be, unless you start acting like a decent human being!"

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Todorova, using her verified Instagram account, went on to clarify her statement in the comments section, saying she could not believe that this is still an issue after five years.

"I don't mean to offend anyone. But after 5 years still commenting on the winner this way... as if she was nobody?! I mean -- to be beautiful like Pia is something you don't do at the esthetician's cabinet, it's something you accomplish at school and at your community!" she said.

Todorova went on: "And not only Pia -- I remember all of the beautiful women at this pageant! I remember them all because they were speaking, smiling and helping each other feel good about themselves! We were there to embrace beauty! And it has nothing to do with how you look but how you make people feel around you! That’s the beauty of being a queen! And Pia does it all. Period."

As of writing, Wurtzbach has yet to comment on the matter.