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Depressed Mrs. Russia Quits Over Unflattering Interview (Video)

Rossia journalist Boris Sobolev questioning Mrs. Russia 2012 Inna Zhirkova (Russian only).

The winner of the Mrs. Russia 2012 beauty pageant has given up her crown two weeks after an unflattering television interview went viral on YouTube in which she was stumped by simple questions such as whether the Earth revolves around the? sun.

Inna Zhirkova, the 23-year-old mother of two and wife of Makhachkala Anzhi soccer star Yury Zhirkov, has fallen into a state of depression after the interview attracted a barrage of ridicule, Komsomolskaya Pravda reported.

She has decided to step down as Mrs. Russia, a title that she won in November, and will not participate in the contest this year, the newspaper said.

Zhirkova's supporters say she was baited by a reporter with Rossia state television, who interviewed her as part of? an documentary about beauty pageant scams titled "Crowned Heads." A? two-minute segment from? the film was subsequently posted on YouTube with the? title, "Footballist Zhirkov's Wife: She Has Money but No Brains." The clip has racked up more than 4.7 million views and hundreds of biting comments over the past two weeks.

In the interview, the reporter notes that Zhirkova was crowned as the? most beautiful and? "active" mother in? Russia and? asks her how she is active.

Zhirkova replies that she actually is not active. Asked whether she has ever held a? job, she replies, "For now I have not had any need to? work."

Later the reporter asks Zhirkova whether the? Earth revolves around the? sun or the? sun revolves around the? Earth. A? flustered-looking Zhirkova says, "Probably the? sun? — no, the? Earth." When pressed to? chose one, she laughs and? says, "I don't know!"

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