CHARLOTTE, N.C. — EDITOR'S NOTE: The following story discusses suicide and may be triggering for some readers.
Tuesday marks two years since Charlotte native and former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst died by suicide. She was 30 years old.
Kryst will soon become a published author as her mother, April Simpkins, plans to release her book on April 23. The first half of the book was written by Kryst and the second half was written by Simpkins.
“Cheslie dealt with high-functioning depression,” Simpkins previously said. “The Cheslie you saw didn’t always match the way she felt inside. Just because someone tells you they’re fine, doesn’t mean they are.”
In 2023, her family partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) to launch the Cheslie C. Kryst Memorial Fund for Mental Health in honor of the first anniversary of her death. The Cheslie C. Kryst Memorial Fund for Mental Health aims to provide help to those facing mental health challenges.
“We are honored to launch the Cheslie C. Kryst Memorial Fund for Mental Health,” Dan Gillison, the CEO for NAMI, said. “In celebrating the life of Miss Kryst, we are also aiming to help others with resources and support for their mental health.”
Kryst was crowned Miss USA in 2019. She worked closely with the community including the Charlotte-based Dress for Success.
"Cheslie was one of the most effervescent people I ever met ... she was always positive, she was always ready to take on the next task," Kerry Barr O'Connor, the executive director of Dress for Success, told WCNC Charlotte previously.
Dress for Success has now created the Cheslie Kryst Woman's Advancement Fund to support more ladies in their employment journey.
Wake Forest University has also created the Cheslie Kryst Diversity and Social Justice Law Scholarship.
Kryst was an attorney who fought for social justice and was also a host on the syndicated entertainment news show "Extra."
“She is forever my baby girl and I’m going to miss all of her and the living example of a pure heart. I’m going to miss that the most," Simpkins said.
She died in New York City at the age of 30.
If you or a loved one are facing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, there is help readily available. You can call Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat with them online. There are also resources in North Carolina available here and in South Carolina available here.
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