Cheslie Kryst is gone.
The American beauty queen, model, lawyer and former Miss USA passed away Sunday, January 30, 2022. She was just 30.
Authorities said she died after jumping from a 60-story building at 350 W. 42nd Street in New York City.
Following her death, Kryst’s family released a press statement, saying they are devastated and are in great sorrow.
“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 Extra. But most importantly, as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor, and colleague – we know her impact will live on,” the statement added.
Cheslie Kryst was born in Jackson, Michigan, on April 28, 1991.
Her father is a Polish American and her mother is an African American.
Kryst’s source of modeling inspiration is traced back to her biological parents. Even though her mother and father divorced when she was young, they played an inspirational role in her life and career.
Her father, Mr. Kryst, was a former bodybuilder, and her mother was a former beauty queen.
When Kryst was a child, her mother, April Simpkins, competed in pageantry and was crowned Mrs. North Carolina US.
The family moved from Michigan to Charlotte, North Carolina when Kryst was young, and later settled in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where Kryst attended Northwestern High School.
The family later moved to Fort Mill, South Carolina and Kryst transferred to Fort Mill High School, graduating in 2009; both cities are suburbs in the Charlotte metropolitan area.
After graduating from high school, Kryst moved to Columbia, South Carolina to attend the Honors College at the University of South Carolina.
She graduated from the Darla Moore School of Business with a degree in marketing and human resource management in 2013, where she was also a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta honor society, Gamecocks women’s track and field team, and mock trial.
After finishing her undergraduate degree, Kryst enrolled in Wake Forest University School of Law in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, graduating with a Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration in 2017
Cheslie Kryst siblings: Meet Asa, Chandler, Jet, Brooklyn, and Page
She had four brothers, Asa Kryst, Chandler, Jet, and Brooklyn, and a sister, Page.
Asa Kryst is a professional American soccer player. He played college soccer at the University of South Carolina from 2011 to 2015, including a red-shirted year in 2014.
And while at college, Kryst also appeared for USL PDL clubs IMG Academy Bradenton and SC United Bantams.
The rest of Cheslie Kryst’s siblings have been living quiet lives and don’t engage with the media.
