Cheslie Kryst, former Miss USA and NC lawyer, dies at age 30, family says
Former Miss USA and Charlotte lawyer Cheslie Kryst died Sunday in New York City, police confirmed.
She was 30 years old.
Kryst died by suicide and was pronounced dead at her Manhattan apartment building after 7 a.m., a New York Police Department spokesperson confirmed to The Charlotte Observer and The Herald of Rock Hill, S.C.
Kryst won the Miss USA pageant in 2019 and finished in the top 10 of the Miss Universe pageant that same year. Because of the pandemic, she held the Miss USA title longer than any previous winner (557 days).
She became a correspondent for Extra TV after her Miss USA reign.
“In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie,” her family said in a statement posted on Extra’s website. “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.”
Kryst’s Carolinas ties
Born in Jackson, Mich., Kryst was first introduced to pageants through her mother, April Simpkins, who was Mrs. North Carolina US in 2002 — the second Black woman to hold that title.
Kryst won her first pageant, Miss Freshman, at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill. She later transferred to Fort Mill High School, where she won the Miss Fort Mill High School pageant.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, and her law degree from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Her path to Miss USA wasn’t straightforward. She tried four times to win the Miss North Carolina and Miss North Carolina USA pageants. She finished in the top 10 each time but didn’t win until 2019, when she was crowned Miss North Carolina USA.
Kryst juggled her job as a civil litigation attorney with Poyner Spruill in Charlotte and her pageant responsibilities. She also ran a fashion blog, White Collar Glam, which focused on helping career women dress professionally.
In a statement Sunday, the law firm called Kryst “a light that radiated every room.”
“She was a passionate advocate both in and out of the courtroom,” the statement said. “She deeply cared about people and everyone who worked with her was better for it.”
Her love for fashion extended beyond her blog. Kryst was a supporter of the non-profit Dress for Success. Before she won the Miss USA title, Kryst discussed her plans to promote the charity’s work. She followed through on those plans after she was crowned and was recognized as a Dress for Success Impact Ambassador by the nonprofit.
Visit to Fort Mill High
Just months after winning the Miss USA title, Kryst moved to New York to fulfill her responsibilities, but she didn’t stay away from the Carolinas for long.
Her first stop after winning the crown was Fort Mill High. She visited her alma mater, a decade after she graduated, to meet with students.
As she sat on stage with a few students, Kryst reflected on her memories growing up in the Carolinas and reminded the students to “know the community that you have here.”
“One of the things that I miss are all of the restaurants in Charlotte that I used to go to,” Kryst said. “There’s so many things about Charlotte and Fort Mill. The special parts of home, you never forget.”
In a crisis? Help is available
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
National Alliance on Mental Illness: Text 741741
Mecklenburg County: NAMI Charlotte, 704-566-3410, select option 1
Wake County: HopeLine 919-231-4525 or 877-235-4525
South Carolina: Department of Mental Health, Mobile Crisis Team, 833-364-2274
This story was originally published January 30, 2022 at 6:12 PM with the headline "Cheslie Kryst, former Miss USA and NC lawyer, dies at age 30, family says."
