Cheslie Kryst, former Miss USA, dies at age 30

Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst, an attorney who also worked for the TV entertainment show Extra, died at the age of 30, according to her family.

“In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie,” her 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.”

According to the New York Post, Kryst jumped from a midtown Manhattan high-rise building on Sunday morning and was found dead on the pavement below. Kryst had lived on the ninth floor of the 60-storey building.

Her final Instagram post-Sunday was a glamorous selfie captioned, “May this day bring you rest and peace.” The message has gotten nearly 500,000 “likes.”

White-Collar Glam, Kryst’s fashion blog, was also operative.

“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. Our deepest condolences to all her family and friends,” the ExtraTV Twitter feed said Sunday.

Kryst won the Miss USA title in 2019, just months after she’d clinched the Miss North Carolina USA crown. While competing, she remembered in a 2021 essay for Allure magazine, she spoke openly about her views “on the legalization of marijuana, the Trump Administration’s immigration policies, anti-abortion laws, the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and the successes and failures of criminal justice reform.”

“I openly supported the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and marched in protests over the summer,” Kryst continued. “I wasn’t searching to collect more awards or recognition during my reign. Rather, I fed the passion that made waking up each morning feel worthwhile: speaking out against injustice.”

Kryst became a New York correspondent for the celebrity and entertainment show Extra after winning Miss USA. She was nominated for two Daytime Emmys for her work on the show.