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The U.S. Sun
Chris Bradford
The beauty pageant star, 30, was found dead in New York City on Sunday.
She was pronounced dead after falling from her high-rise apartment.
Medical examiners conducted an autopsy Monday and a day later her death was confirmed a suicide, PEOPLE reported.
Kryst’s death was confirmed by her family and colleague Billy Brush branded her passing as a “complete shock to us all”.
The beauty pageant queen also worked as a correspondent for Extra.
The company said: Our hearts are broken. Cheslie was not just a vital part of our show, she was a beloved part of our Extra family and touched the entire staff.”
Erwyn Diaz, a videographer who worked with Kryst for about four years, told The Sun: “She set the standard for all women in America.”
Her friend and publicist LaToya Evans posted a picture with Kryst on her personal Instagram with a touching tribute and personal anecdote about the late model before the Miss USA competition.
Evans said: “I’m awestruck and heartbroken. When I spoke with her a couple of days ago about a BIG upcoming story we were working on, she was happy-sounding as always. I could hear her smiling through the phone.”
Read our Cheslie Kryst live blog for the very latest news and updates…
Kryst lived alone in her plush apartment located in the Hells Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan after moving in last September.
Less than a year before her death, she revealed that she spent eight days in the hospital and wrote about “running out of time” in a chilling essay.
The ex Miss USA winner penned a heartbreaking piece about turning 30 where she discussed her struggles with aging, her work ethic, and her search for purpose.
Kryst wrote: “Turning 30 feels like a cold reminder that I’m running out of time to matter in society’s eyes – and it’s infuriating.”
The beauty pageant winner said she “cringed” at the thought of reaching the age.
Kryst is said to have left behind a note saying that “she wanted to leave everything” to her beauty pageant mom.
Police sources told The New York Post that Kryst left a note behind for her mom April Simpkins, who was awarded the gong of Mrs. North Carolina United States in 2002.
The beauty pageant winner previously said her mum had inspired her.
She said: “My mom is my role model. I always look up to her and ask her for her advice.”
Hours before her death, Kryst uploaded a chilling post on Instagram of herself captioned: “May this day bring you rest and peace.”
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Cheslie Kryst privately struggled with depression before her death, mother says — (Los Angeles Times)
BY CHRISTI CARRASSTAFF WRITER
FEB. 2, 2022 2:43 PM PT
Cheslie Kryst posing in a gingham outfit and “Miss USA” sash.
Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst died Sunday at age 30.(Andy Kropa / Invision / Associated Press)
The mother of Cheslie Kryst has issued a statement mourning the loss of her daughter after the Miss USA winner’s death was ruled a suicide.
On Wednesday, April Simpkins confirmed that her daughter privately struggled with depression before she died Sunday at age 30 in New York City. Kryst made history in 2019 when she and two other Black contestants swept the coveted titles of Miss USA, Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe in the same year.
“I have never known a pain as deep as this. I am forever changed,” Simpkins wrote in a statement. “Today, what our family and friends privately knew was the cause of death of my sweet baby girl, Cheslie, was officially confirmed.
“While it may be hard to believe, it’s true. Cheslie led both a public and a private life. In her private life, she was dealing with high-functioning depression which she hid from everyone — including me, her closest confidant — until very shortly before her death.”
A split image of Rachel Lindsay wearing a read sweater, left, and Cheslie Kryst wearing a gold dress
Cheslie Kryst mourned by ‘Extra’ co-host Rachel Lindsay: ‘I can’t believe she’s gone’
After garnering international fame as a trailblazing beauty queen, Kryst joined “Extra” as a New York correspondent in 2019. On Monday, the entertainment news program aired a memorial segment for Kryst featuring interviews with her friends and colleagues.
“While her life on this earth was short, it was filled with many beautiful memories,” Simpkins continued. “We miss her laugh, her words of wisdom, her sense of humor and mostly her hugs. We miss all of it — we miss all of her. She was a vital part of our family which makes this loss even more devastating.
“Cheslie — to the world, you were a ball of sunshine wrapped in smiles. We talked, FaceTimed or texted one another all day, every day. You were more than a daughter — you were my very best friend. Talking with you was one of the best parts of my day. Your smile and laugh were infectious.”
Cheslie Kryst posing in a gingham blazer
Cheslie Kryst remembered by Miss USA and ‘Extra’: ‘She lit up every room she entered’
Since Sunday, a number of activists, institutions and entertainment luminaries have paid tribute to Kryst on social media. Among the first to salute the beloved attorney and broadcast journalist were the Miss USA and Miss Universe organizations, as well as Miss Universe 2019, Zozibini Tunzi.
In lieu of flowers, Kryst’s family has requested donations to Dress for Success, one of multiple humanitarian organizations the rising media star supported.
“I love you baby girl with all my heart,” Simpkins wrote. “I miss you desperately. I know one day we’ll be together again. Until then, rest easy and in peace.”
Also on Wednesday, Miss Teen USA 2019, Kaliegh Garris, shared a moving eulogy to her fellow pageant winner on Instagram. Garris recalled living in “the titleholder apartment” with Kryst, who kept in her room a list of affirmations and reminders, including “Be a good role model for Kaliegh.”
“I can confidently say, without a doubt, she was and always will be the best role model to me,” Garris wrote.
“Cheslie, you taught, supported, and loved me with all your heart. … You believed in me, even when I didn’t. You always gave me the confidence to be myself, to speak up for myself, and to push through any hurdle I was facing. You meant the world to me and to so many others. For all of this and so much more, I am eternally grateful.”