Olivia O'Neil Stripped of Pageant Crown for Changing Her Hair Color

NEW YORK (CBS) Teen beauty pageant winner Olivia O'Neil is has been de-crowned all because of dying her blonde tresses brown.

Hair dye was all it took for beauty pageant organizer Barbara Osborne to become outraged and stripped the 15-year-old New Zealand teen queen of her title, just three months after winning.

According to London's Daily Telegraph newspaper, Osborne, who saw O'Neil's dyed hair photo on the teen queen's Facebook profile, reacted strongly to the teenager's decision to color her hair. "Is that a wig? I hope it is, don't give me heart failure. Oh my God, I hope it's a demi. Please tell me that's a wig."

When O'Neil confirmed she had, indeed, colored her hair. Osborne responded by telling the 15-year-old to choose between the hair dye and her title.

She said "Well you better decide, miss. Hand over your crown with an attitude like that. I'm sure someone will step into your place with manners."

Osborne also told the teenager that she would not go far in the world.

O'Neil told the New Zealand Herald that she was shocked by the decision and Osborne's comments. "I don't think you can tell a 15-year-old that they aren't going to go very far in life," she said. "It's hurtful."

Pageant spokesman Jevan Goulter confirmed that the crown had been taken away from Miss O'Neil due to her decision to dye her hair.

He said: "The expectation in holding the crown [was] that she maintain the image she had when she won it."

But Goulter added that it was an exaggeration to say there had been harsh treatment to the girls from behind the scenes.

Barbara Osborne has reportedly left the organization since de-crowning O'Neil.