Former Miss USA-winner Cheslie Kryst battled with depression right up until her death, her mother April Simpkins has revealed.
Earlier this week it was confirmed that Kryst had died by suicide. CNN, citing police, reported that the 30-year-old plunged to her death after jumping from a building in Manhattan on Sunday. She sustained multiple blunt impact injuries, the outlet noted. Now Simpkins is speaking out about her daughter's mental health struggles.
"Cheslie led both a public and a private life. In her private life, she was dealing with high-functioning depression which she hid from everyone — including me, her closest confidant — until very shortly before her death," Simpkins explained in a statement on Wednesday, according to the New York Post.
"I have never known a pain as deep as this. I am forever changed," Simpkins said about the devastating loss, adding that her daughter was her "best friend."
"Cheslie — to the world, you were a ball of sunshine wrapped in smiles. We talked, FaceTimed or texted one another all day, every day," she continued.
"While her life on this earth was short, it was filled with many beautiful memories," Simpkins stated. "We miss her laugh, her words of wisdom, her sense of humor and mostly her hugs. We miss all of it — we miss all of her. She was a vital part of our family which makes this loss even more devastating."
Kryst initially studied law and received her degree and MBA from Wake Forest University but decided to put her career on hold so that she could focus on competing in pageants, Fox News reported. In 2019 she won Miss USA and that same year placed in the top 10 of the Miss Universe pageant. She went on to become a correspondent for Extra TV. She received two Emmy nominations for her contributions.
During her time competing in Miss USA, Kryst admitted in a video on the pageant's official Facebook page in 2019 that she was managing her mental health by seeing a counselor.
"The most important thing that I did was talk to a counselor," Kryst said in the video. "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. So I definitely recommend that."
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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