Cheslie Kryst Miss USA 2019 jumps to her suicide death from Orion NYC apartment. Beauty pageant winner, lawyer and Extra TV host struggled with mental health issues.
A former beauty pageant winner jumped to her death from a NYC midtown building on Sunday according to reports.
Cheslie Kryst former Miss USA 2019 and 30 year lawyer jumped from the 60-story Orion building at 350 W. 42nd St. around 7:15 a.m. and was found dead in the street below.
Kryst, who lived on the ninth floor of the building, was alone when she jumped and was last seen on a 29th-floor terrace according to the nypost.
A former Miss North Carolina, Kryst won top honors at the 2019 Miss USA pageant. Kryst also worked as a reporter for ExtraTV.
‘Our hearts are broken,’ the outlet said in a statement. ‘Cheslie was not just a vital part of our show. She was a beloved part of our Extra family and touched the entire staff. Our deepest condolences to all her family and friends.’
Miss USA 2019 suicide: Extra host was trolled online & hated lawyer job
Struggled with mental health
‘In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie,’ the former beauty queen’s family said in a statement Sunday.
‘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.
‘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,’ her family said. ‘But most importantly as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague — we know her impact will live on.’
In clues as to what led up to the fatal leap, Kryst had just hours prior posted on her Instagram page, ‘May this day bring you rest and peace.’
In October 2019, Kryst spoke out on Facebook for World Mental Health Day, offering tips on how she coped with stress.
‘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.’
3 step plan to self care
In 2020 she discussed the issue again in an interview with The Hilltop.
‘There are three things that I’m doing with regard with self-care,’ Kryst said. ‘No. 1, I try to set a regular schedule so my alarm rings every day at 6:45. I know that I’m getting up and I’m starting my day.
‘Two, I try to set very clear boundaries, so even though I’m at home and I’ve got my computer, my phone with me, I’m done answering emails at 6 o’clock, I’m not responding to messages. It’s over.’
Third, she said, ‘I have a regular workout schedule that keeps my body healthy and my mind sharp.’
Born in Jackson, Michigan, Kryst graduated from the Honors College and the University of South Carolina.
She went on to graduate from the Darla Moore School of Business and Wake Forest University School of Law in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she was involved in a number of activities, including the National Black Law Students Association, according to her LinkedIn page.
‘A life anyone would have been jealous of….’
She was also an associate attorney at Poyner-Spruill LLP in Charlotte between September 2017 to May 2019 working as a member of the firm’s civil litigation team.
She became a news correspondent for Extra in September 2019, earning her two Daytime Emmy nominees.
Police have not said why they believe Kryst took her own life.
She left behind a note saying she wanted to leave everything to her mother, sources said. The note didn’t include a motive for her actions, sources said.
‘Not only beautiful but she was smart — she was a lawyer,’ a police source told the nypost. ‘She has a life that anyone would be jealous of. … It’s so sad.’
