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Miss USA 2019, Cheslie Kryst, has died at age 30. According to TMZ, the NYPD received a 911 call from Kryst's apartment building, where they found the beauty queen and pronounced her dead at the scene. While her death is still being investigated, authorities believe she died by suicide. She lived on the ninth floor of the 60-floor high-rise, but was last seen on a terrace on the 29th floor. It's believed she jumped to her death.
Hours before she passed away, Cheslie posted a photo of herself to Instagram, captioning it, "May this day bring you rest and peace."
While Kryst, who won Miss USA as Miss North Carolina, used her platform to speak out about criminal justice reform, she was also vocal about mental health. In October of 2019, around World Mental Health Day, she wrote on Facebook, "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. I unplug, I shut my phone off, I don’t answer messages. I just sit and watch my favorite movies."
Kryst was also an attorney and worked as a correspondent for Extra.
Her family released a statement that reads, "In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie. 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."