Former Miss USA 2019, Cheslie Kryst has died at the age of 30.
Police say Kryst jumped from a 60-story high-rise building at 350 W. 42nd Street in New York City around 7:15 a.m. on Sunday morning, according to The New York Post.
“In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie,” Kryst’s family said in a statement to PEOPLE. “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.”
Her family added, “Cheslie embodied love and served others, whether through her work as an attorney fighting for social justice, as Miss USA and as a host on Extra. But most importantly, as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague – we know her impact will live on.”
Extra also expressed their condolences to her family and friends.
“Our hearts are broken. Cheslie was not just a vital part of our show,” Extra tweeted, “she was a beloved part of our “Extra” family and touched the entire staff.”
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Who was Cheslie?
Kryst was an attorney and crowned Miss North Carolina in 2019. That same year, she became Miss USA. Asya Branch went on to succeed her the following year. In a 2020 interview with Insider, Kryst shared her reaction to being allowed to discuss her support of Black Lives Matter for the Miss USA platform.
“I had never dreamed of a time when an organization as large as this, in pageantry, would be posting on its official channels that Black lives matter,” she told Insider. “As soon as I saw that post go up on our Instagram pages, I was like, ‘Wow. How cool, not just that I’m a pageant fan and a woman in society that I get to see this, but also that I’m one of the titleholders who gets to continue pushing this message.'”
Before she died, she posted on her Instagram page, “May this day bring you rest and peace.”
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In 2019, she shared on her Facebook how she managed stress for World Mental Health Day.
“I do a lot to make sure that I maintain my mental health,” she said. “And the most important thing that I did is talk to a counselor. She’s really easy to talk to. She gives me great strategies especially if I’m sad or happy or have a busy month ahead of me. When I’m not talking to my counselor, I spend time at the end of every single day to just decompress,” Kryst added. “I unplug, I shut my phone off, I don’t answer messages. I just sit and watch my favorite movies.”
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.
