Two years after her passing, former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst will become a published author. With the help of her mother, Kryst’s book — By the Time You Read This: The Space Between Cheslie’s Smile and Mental Illness will be on the bookshelves this spring.
Kryst’s mother, April Simpkins, told EXTRA TV, that one of the final wishes her daughter sent to her via text was to see that her book get published.
“This means everything to me,” Simpkins told Extra as reported by People. “Fulfilling her final wishes feels like I still get to be in mommy mode with her. And it has been a work of love.”
Simpkins gave Extra exclusive footage of Kryst announcing that she completed her book during a family vacation in Israel in 2021.
“It’s so wild. Like, I wrote a book,” Kryst exclaimed in the clip. “I have words on the page. There are words on this page! My words that I wrote.”
Kryst died by suicide on Jan. 30, 2022, at the age of 30. She was crowned Miss USA 2019 and joined the Black women to hold the world’s most prestigious beauty pageant titles that year. She also had an MBA law degree and was licensed to practice law in both North Carolina and South Carolina and was a correspondent for Extra.
By the Time You Read This was written in two parts, according to Forefront Books. The first part of the book was written by Kryst and shares her thoughts “from the highest highs of passing two bar exams, winning Miss USA, and beginning an exciting career as an entertainment journalist to the lowest lows of heartbreak, betrayal, and persistent depression.” The second half is by Simpkins, who continues the book from her perspective, beginning with the day of her daughter’s death.
“We don’t know what’s going on in the lives of many people, but what we can extend is kindness, a listening ear, and a safe space,” Simpkins told Extra. “And I hope that when people read this book that they promise themselves to seek help when they need it, that they work to create a safe space so that their friends can share, and that they learn how to really listen.”
Kryst’s book will be released on April 23rd. Proceeds from the book will go towards the Cheslie C. Kryst Foundation, which was founded in her honor.
