Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach tells Miss Columbia: 'We are now bonded together forever'

Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was crowned Miss Universe under dramatic circumstances, when host Steve Harvey wrongly announced Miss Columbia Ariadna Gutiérrez as the winner. Now Wurtzbach believes she is bonded forever with Gutiérrez.

Wurtzbach wrote some kind words for the runner-up in an Instagram post. She said: "To Ariadna, you are an amazing woman and we are now bonded together forever by a unique experience. In the last 3 weeks we were together, I saw how strong and beautiful you are inside and out. You represented your country with honor and I know how proud everyone must be of you. Fate has a plan for you, and I'm excited to see what's ahead. "

She also added a little note to fans who are still feuding. "To all the fans who are still fighting about this...Please let's all stop now. The Miss Universe Organization is about uniting empowered women from all over the world. Arguing and sending hateful messages to each other defeats the whole purpose," she said.

"You believe in the message of Miss Universe and so do I. Again, thank you for the love. I'm excited to begin my duties as Miss Universe and I wish everyone, all the contestants and all the supporters, a great holiday with their loved ones. Happy Holidays and let's look forward to a great start to the new year! " she added.

Wurtzbach said winning the crown was her best Christmas gift ever. She wrote: "Wow. Words can't describe how grateful I am for this. It was quite a journey getting here with 3 attempts at winning Miss Philippines. Now, I finally got the best Christmas gift ever – and not just for me, for my country. I'd like to say thank you to everyone who believed in my potential and those who supported me from the beginning. To everyone who voted for me, especially to my fellow countrymen, thank you. Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat." The last sentence means thank you in Tagalog, the Filipino language.