A woman who jumped to her death from a skyscraper in New York City on Sunday morning has been identified as former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst.
Kryst, 30, was a lawyer and also worked as a correspondent for the entertainment show Extra. She won the Miss USA pageant in 2019.
Kryst, who had an apartment on the ninth floor of the building on West 42nd Street in midtown Manhattan, leaped from the high-rise around 7:15am and was found dead on the sidewalk beneath the 60-story hi-rise.
She had last been seen on one of the building’s terrace, up on the 29th-floor.
Miss USA 2019, Cheslie Kryst, 30, was found dead on Sunday morning after jumping from a New York City skyscraper
Kryst posted her final picture on Instagram on Sunday morning writing: ‘May this day bring you rest and peace’
Steve Harvey interviews Miss USA Cheslie Kryst onstage at the 2019 Miss Universe Pageant in December 2019
Kryst is pictured wearing her Miss USA banner in February 2020
Only hours before jumping, Kryst wrote on her Instagram page, ‘May this day bring you rest and peace.’
The model had also left a note before ending her life that stated she wanted to leave everything to her mother.
There was no explanation for her actions.
‘Not only beautiful but she was smart — she was a lawyer,’ a police source told the New York Post. ‘She has a life that anyone would be jealous of. … It’s so sad.’
A former winner of Miss North Carolina, Kryst won the 2019 Miss USA pageant wearing a sparkly winged outfit for the National Costume competition, in a nod to Maya Angelou’s ‘I Know Why the Caged BIrd Sings.’
It was the first year when the four major U.S. pageant titles were held by Black women.
Kryst was a former complex civil litigation attorney and licensed to practice law in North and South Carolina
Kryst obtained her law degree from 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
efore joining the daily gossip show she founded the fashion blog White Collar Glam
Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, is pictured in 2019 with her mother, left, April Simpkins, Mrs North Carolina 2002. Seen right, Cheri Beasley, the first African American woman to serve as Chief Justice
Born in Jackson, Michigan, to a white, Polish-American father and her mother, a black American and former Mrs. North Carolina US winner, April Simpkins, 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.
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. Before joining the daily gossip show she founded the fashion blog White Collar Glam.
Kryst had also modeled for Express and served as an ambassador for the retail company.
She was also on the National Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
Kryst is pictured out on the streets of Soho in New York in 2021
Kryst had been working as a correspondent for the entertainment show Extra and had received two Daytime Emmy nominations for her work. She is pictured here interviewing Taylor Swift
Cheslie Kryst, 30, died after she leaped to her death from a 60-story Midtown apartment building. She would often be seen striking a pose around the city in fashionable clothes
‘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,’ read a statement from the show she worked on. ‘Our deepest condolences to all her family and friends.’
In a statement from representatives, Kryst’s family described her as ‘one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength.’
‘In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie,’ the statement said.
‘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 ExtraXTRA. But most importantly, as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague – we know her impact will live on. As we reflect on our loss, the family asks for privacy at this time.’
Sources say Kryst was alone when she jumped and was last seen on a 29th-floor terrace.
In October 2019, Kryst spoke out on Facebook for World Mental Health Day. She offered tips on how she coped with stress.
In October 2019, Kryst spoke out on Facebook for World Mental Health Day. She offered tips on how she coped with stress.
‘I do a lot to make sure that I maintain my mental health 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 said. ‘I unplug, I shut my phone off, I don’t answer messages. I just sit and watch my favorite movies.’
She aired similar sentiments during an interview with The Hilltop.
‘There are three things that I’m doing with regard with self-care,’ Kryst began.
‘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, have a regular workout schedule that keeps my body healthy and my mind sharp.’
Kryst jumped from the 60-story Orion building, where she had an apartment on the ninth floor. She had last been seen on a terrace on the building’s 29th floor
New York Police officers inspect the body of a suicide victim at on 42nd street in New York
Police officers are seen on the scene of where Kryst fell to her death on West 42nd Street
Later police identified the person as Cheslie Kryst. Kryst was an attorney, a 2019 Miss USA title holder and was a host on Extra
Officers were quickly on the scene of the incident where Kryst fell on Sunday morning
Sadly, there was little that could be done to save the former Miss USA winner
The NYPD roped off the area where Kryst’s body landed on the snow covered street
In recent Instagram postings, there was nothing to suggest unhappiness or mental strain
Kryst would often like to share her feelings to her Instagram followers and was public in the knowledge that social media was all for show.
‘My Instagram is my highlight reel and I want to look my best while I share a look at my life, my fun, and the body I’m proud of. But that’s all it is. A fine-tuned glimpse into a moment in time. Don’t allow what you see on here make you forget that I’m incredibly flawed; I simply chose not to share those flaws in a photo,’ she wrote last June.
‘And definitely don’t compare your own flaws to what you see in this picture or any others on my page. It’s not fair to compare 100% of yourself, your good days, bad days, and everything in between to a highly curated fraction of me on my best days.’
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available for those in distress: 1-800-273-8255.