‘She embodied grace’: Former Miss USA and NC lawyer Cheslie Kryst remembered
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Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst: 1991-2022
Cheslie Kryst, the Charlotte lawyer with deep ties to the Carolinas and later became the 2019 Miss USA, died by suicide in January 2022.
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The death of former Miss USA and Charlotte lawyer Cheslie Kryst has people across the Carolinas remembering how special she was to them.
Kryst, 30, died by suicide and was pronounced dead at her Manhattan apartment building Sunday morning, a New York Police Department spokesperson confirmed to The Charlotte Observer and The Herald of Rock Hill, S.C. She was 30 years old.
Kryst had been working as a correspondent for Extra TV.
She followed in the footsteps of her mother, April Simpkins, and became a mainstay in the Carolinas pageant scene. “CeCi” won the Miss Freshman pageant at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, S.C., then the Miss Fort Mill High School pageant. Both schools are just south of Charlotte.
“While she was well known to many because of her reign as Miss USA in 2019, to our Fort Mill staff she will be remembered as a sweet, well-liked girl named CeCi,” Fort Mill School District officials said in a Facebook post Monday. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family as they deal with this tragic loss.”
Months after winning Miss USA in 2019, Kryst returned to Fort Mill High School to speak with students about her time in the Carolinas.
The district said it is offering resources to anyone struggling with Kryst’s death, and encouraging people to talk with school counselors.
The University of South Carolina, where Kryst earned a bachelor’s degree, called her “a woman of many talents.” Kryst competed in the long jump and triple jump for the Gamecocks’ track and field team.
‘In our hearts forever’
During a student lawyer competition in 2017, Kryst thought about how hard it was to find nice affordable suits. She created a blog, White Collar Glam, to offer stylistic guidance and tips to career women.
Kryst would soon be approached by Dress for Success, a global nonprofit focused on empowering women by providing professional attire and a helpful network, to be one of its “Impact Ambassadors.”
The nonprofit sent its “heartfelt condolences” to Kryst’s family and friends in a Facebook post.
“Cheslie Kryst ... will remain in our hearts forever,” the post said. “Cheslie’s natural generosity and connection to our mission in her role as an ambassador sprung from pure essence; she embodied grace, intelligence and passion. The women at Dress for Success adored her; this is a tragic loss for all.”
The organization has an affiliate in Charlotte that was founded in 2000 and works in partnership with 80 agency partners.
NC officials remember Kryst
Before becoming Miss USA, Kryst worked in Charlotte as a civil litigation attorney with Poyner Spruill. She interacted with many in the community, including Mayor Vi Lyles.
“Before she was Miss USA, we had lunch,” Lyles said in a Facebook post Monday. “She was proud to be a working attorney in Charlotte. We also did a number of charity events. She did it with grace and a smile. We are so saddened to lose her.”
In a Facebook post, the Harvey B. Gantt Center in uptown Charlotte said Kryst would be “missed deeply.” She served on the center’s Millennial Advisory Board.
“Her impact, through her practice as an attorney fighting for social justice and criminal justice reform, through her volunteerism with local non-profits, and as the winner of Miss USA, using her platform to spread awareness, will continue to touch lives near and far.”
Gov. Roy Cooper called Kryst a “role model” for so many people in North Carolina and across the country.
He suggested that people in need of help call the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at (800)-273-8255.
“Our prayers are with her family,” Cooper said in a Facebook post Monday. “Check in with your loved ones. If you feel overwhelmed, seek out help.”
Crisis prevention resources
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 31, 2022 at 2:25 PM with the headline "‘She embodied grace’: Former Miss USA and NC lawyer Cheslie Kryst remembered."
