Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst dies by suicide at 30: Family says she 'inspired others around the world'
Credit: Paras Griffin/Getty Images
By Geneva Waters // Death // EEW Magazine Online
Publicly, Miss USA 2019, Cheslie Kryst, seemed to have it all: beauty, success, happiness, and a platform to do good in the world. But privately, she was battling internal demons.
Authorities say the 30-year-old died Sunday after jumping from a 60-story building at 350 W. 42nd Street in New York City around 7:15 a.m. local time, The New York Post reports.
Kryst lived on the ninth floor of the Orion building and was last seen on a 29th-floor terrace.
Cheslie Kryst is crowned Miss USA 2019
Credit: Frank Micelotta/FOX/PictureGroup/REX/Shutterstock
In a statement Sunday obtained by EEW Magazine Online, her family said, "In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie. Her great light was one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength. She cared, she loved, she laughed, and she shined."
The late beauty queen who was an attorney that fought for social justice also worked as a host on Extra. The media platform expressed its sorrow and offered its "deepest condolences to all her family and friends" in a statement obtained by EEW Magazine Online Sunday.
"Our hearts are broken," the statement read. "Cheslie was not just a vital part of our show, she was a beloved part of our Extra family and touched the entire staff."
Kryst was crowned Miss North Carolina in May 2019. She and three other women — Nia Imani Franklin (Miss America) Kaliegh Garris (Miss Teen USA) and Zozibini Tunzi (Miss Universe) — made history together by becoming the first group of Black women to hold the titles in a single year. Kryst also served on the National Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the largest and oldest youth mentoring organization in the United States.
Her final Instagram post said, “May this day bring you rest and peace”
Sources said Kryst left behind a note saying she wanted to leave everything to her mother, also a former pageant competitor, according to NY Post. The note did not indicate a motive for Kryst’s suicide.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
