Cheslie Kryst died on January 30 after jumping from a high-rise in Manhattan. She suffered multiple blunt impact injuries, according to the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner.
Her family announced a memorial fund in her name to help those with mental health challenges, including high-functioning depression. She was part of a historic moment in pageant history when all four major titles were won by Black women, including Nia Imani Franklin (Miss America), Kaliegh Garris (Miss Teen USA) and Zozibini Tunzi (Miss Universe).
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Cause of Death
Former beauty queen Cheslie Kryst died by suicide in January, according to the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner. She fell from a high-rise building in Manhattan and had multiple blunt impact injuries.
Cheslie was crowned Miss USA in 2019. She also worked as an attorney and was a correspondent for Extra TV.
She was born in Jackson, Michigan, and grew up in South Carolina. She attended the University of South Carolina and earned a law degree from Wake Forest University.
A few months after she was crowned Miss USA, Cheslie volunteered her services at a nonprofit organization that provides free legal assistance to people who have been jailed unjustly. She was an advocate for mental health issues and fought for equal rights for women.
Her mother, April Simpkins, recently spoke out about her daughter’s struggle with depression. She said that Cheslie was a “ball of sunshine” on the outside but was struggling with high-functioning depression in her own life.
Cause of Injury
Cheslie Kryst was an attorney who sought to help reform America’s justice system. She was also a fashion blogger and entertainment news correspondent, and she was crowned Miss USA in 2019.
On Sunday, Kryst jumped from her apartment building in New York City, reportedly suffering multiple blunt impact injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
After her death, her mother spoke out about the former pageant winner’s struggles with depression and said she had attempted suicide in the past.
She was a Charlotte native who was crowned Miss USA in 2019. She was an advocate for mental health issues and worked closely with Dress for Success, which created the Cheslie Kryst Woman’s Advancement Fund to support women who are pursuing careers in the industry.
Symptoms
Cheslie Kryst, a former Miss USA, social justice advocate, Division 1 athlete, and Emmy-award winner, died by suicide at the age of 30 in January. She was a beauty pageant queen who paved the way for many Black women, so her death was shocking.
Her happy appearance didn’t hide the fact that she was struggling with depression, according to her mother. In a recent episode of Red Table Talk, April Simpkins joined Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, and Adrienne Banfield Norris to speak about her daughter’s struggles with high-functioning depression.
It’s a common misconception that people with depression don’t look like they are suffering. That’s because they may have a strong and confident persona that conceals the actual pain, experts previously told Insider.
Treatment
The death of Cheslie Kryst has caused a national conversation about mental health. She was a former Miss USA, an attorney who fought for legal reform, and an entertainment news correspondent for Extra.
She also was an advocate for mental health and a volunteer for the nonprofit Dress for Success, empowering women to achieve economic independence.
Her accomplishments reflected her kind spirit. She was a supporter of young Black girls, and she spoke often about her passion for diversity in the pageant world.
In 2019, she made history as one of five Black women who swept major beauty pageants in the United States. She won Miss North Carolina and was crowned Miss USA, making her the oldest contestant to win the title at age 28.
Her mother, April Simpkins, gave her first interview since her daughter’s death and opened up about her struggles with chronic, high-functioning depression in this Facebook Watch “Red Table Talk.” She explains that the signs of Cheslie’s depression were evident early on.
