Cheslie Corrinne Kryst ( ; April 28, 1991 – January 30, 2022) was an American television correspondent, model, and beauty pageant titleholder. She was also an attorney and a correspondent for the TV show ''

Extra Extra, Xtra, or The Extra may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * The Extra (1962 film), ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film * The Extra (2005 film), ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film Literature * Extra (newspaper), ...

'' from October 2019 until her death. For her work on ''Extra'', she was nominated for two

Daytime Emmy Awards The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...

. As

Miss USA 2019 Miss USA 2019 was the 68th Miss USA pageant, held at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada on May 2, 2019. The 2019 competition served as the second consecutive time that the pageant has been held concurrently with the Miss Teen USA competi ...

, Kryst represented the United States at

Miss Universe 2019 Miss Universe 2019 was the 68th Miss Universe pageant, held at Stage 1 of Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, United States on 8 December 2019. At the end of the event, Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa was crowned as Miss Universe 2019 by ...

, where she placed in the Top 10. She was the third woman from North Carolina to win Miss USA.

Early life and education

Cheslie Corrinne Kryst was born on April 28, 1991, in

Jackson, Michigan Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 31,309 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along Interstate 94 in Michigan, Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127 in Michigan, U.S ...

, to an

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

mother and a

Polish-American Polish Americans () are Americans who either have total or partial Polish ancestry, or are citizens of the Republic of Poland. There are an estimated 8.81 million self-identified Polish Americans, representing about 2.67% of the U.S. population, ...

father. She had four brothers and a sister. Her mother, April Simpkins, competed in pageantry and was crowned Mrs. North Carolina US when Kryst was a child. The family moved from Michigan to

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

, when Kryst was young, and later settled in

Rock Hill, South Carolina Rock Hill is the most populous city in York County, South Carolina, United States, and the List of municipalities in South Carolina, 5th-most populous city in the state. It is also the 4th-most populous city of the Charlotte metropolitan area, be ...

, where Kryst attended Northwestern High School. The family later moved to

Fort Mill, South Carolina Fort Mill, also known as Fort Mill Township, is a town in York County, South Carolina, United States. It is a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 24,521. Some businesses and residents in th ...

, with Kryst transferring to

Fort Mill High School Fort Mill High School (FMHS) is a public high school in Fort Mill, South Carolina, United States. It is part of the York County School District 4. Achievements Two-time National Blue Ribbon School – 2004, 2018 Marching Band 24 South ...

, and graduating in 2009; both cities are suburbs in the

Charlotte metropolitan area The Charlotte metropolitan area is a metropolitan area of the U.S. states of North and South Carolina, containing the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. The metropolitan area also includes the cities of Gastonia, Concord, Huntersville, and ...

. After high school, Kryst moved to

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...

, and attended the Honors College at the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

. She graduated ''

cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

'' from the

Darla Moore School of Business Darla is a female given name of English origin which is a variant of Darlene. Darla means “Darling” Darla may refer to: People * Darla K. Anderson (), American film producer * Darla Hood (1931–1979), American child actress, best known for ...

with a degree in marketing and

human resource management Human resource management (HRM) is the strategic and coherent approach to the effective and efficient management of people in a company or organization such that they help their business gain a competitive advantage. It is designed to maximize e ...

in 2013. She was also a member of the

Alpha Lambda Delta Alpha Lambda Delta () is an honor society for students who have achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher during their first year or term of higher education. History Alpha Lambda Delta was founded in 1924 by the Dean of Women, Maria Leonard, at the Universi ...

honor society, Gamecocks women's track and field team, and the

mock trial A mock trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisti ...

. After finishing her undergraduate degree, Kryst enrolled in

Wake Forest University School of Law Wake Forest University School of Law is the law school of Wake Forest University, a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Established in 1894, Wake Forest University School of Law is an American Bar Association (ABA) accred ...

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the List of municipalities in North Carolina, fifth-most populous ...

, graduating with a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

and

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular ...

in 2017.

Law career

Following her graduation, Kryst became licensed to practice law in both North Carolina and South Carolina, and began working as an attorney in civil litigation at Poyner Spruill LLP. She also worked ''

pro bono ( English: 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. The term traditionally referred to provision of legal services by legal professionals for people who a ...

'' not only for clients who were low-level drug offenders, but also with Brittany K. Barnett of the Buried Alive Project, to free a client sentenced to life imprisonment. She was the founder of the

fashion blog Fashion blogs are blogs that cover the fashion industry, clothing, and lifestyle related topics. Definition A fashion blog can cover many topics, such as specific items of clothing and accessories, beauty tips, trends in various apparel mark ...

White Collar Glam, dedicated to helping women dress professionally in

white-collar jobs White collar may refer to: * White-collar worker, a professional who performs office-based or similar service-based jobs, as opposed to a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor * White-collar boxing * White-collar crime The term ...

Pageantry

Kryst first entered pageants as a teenager, winning Miss Freshman at Northwestern High School in

, and later Miss Fort Mill High School in

. After taking several years off from pageantry, Kryst made two attempts to win the

Miss North Carolina The Miss North Carolina competition selects the representative for the state of North Carolina to compete in the annual Miss America competition. The competition has been held in High Point, North Carolina since 2021 and was previously held in R ...

title within the Miss America Organization, placing in the top ten on her first attempt and first runner-up on her second attempt.

Miss North Carolina USA 2019

In 2016, Kryst competed in Miss North Carolina USA 2017, where she was the fourth runner-up to Katie Coble. She returned the following year and reached the top ten, before returning again for Miss North Carolina USA 2019, where she won the title, representing

Metrolina The Charlotte metropolitan area is a metropolitan area of the U.S. states of North and South Carolina, containing the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. The metropolitan area also includes the cities of Gastonia, Concord, Huntersville, and R ...

. She was crowned by Kaaviya Sambasivam, Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2018.

Miss USA 2019

As Miss North Carolina USA, Kryst represented North Carolina at Miss USA 2019, at the

Grand Sierra Resort Grand Sierra Resort (formerly MGM Grand Reno, Bally's Reno and Reno Hilton) is a hotel and casino located approximately three miles east of Downtown Reno, Nevada. The hotel has 1,990 guest rooms and suites, 27 floors, 12 restaurants, including Ch ...

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

. She won the competition and became the third woman from North Carolina to win the title, following Chelsea Cooley and Kristen Dalton, who were crowned

Miss USA 2005 Miss USA 2005 was the 54th Miss USA pageant, held in Baltimore, Maryland on April 11, 2005. It was won by Chelsea Cooley of North Carolina. Fifty-one state titleholders competed for the title of Miss USA in the Hippodrome Theatre on April 11, ...

and

Miss USA 2009 Miss USA 2009 was the 58th Miss USA pageant, held at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts in Paradise, Nevada, on April 19, 2009. At the conclusion of the final night of competition, Kristen Dalton (Miss USA), Kristen Dalton of Mi ...

, respectively. At 28 years and 4 days old, she broke the previous record of the oldest woman to be crowned Miss USA. As Miss USA, Kryst took a one-year leave of absence from law to fulfill her pageantry duties. Kryst's reign was scheduled to end on spring 2020, but due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, she became the longest reigning Miss USA titleholder on June 5, 2020, surpassing

Nia Sanchez Nia Temple Booko (née Sanchez; born February 15, 1990) is an American beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 2014. Sanchez represented the United States at Miss Universe 2014, where she finished as first runner-up. Early life Nia Temple ...

's previous record of 399 days. Her reign ended with a total of 557 days on November 9, 2020, and she crowned

Asya Branch Asya Danielle Branch (born May 5, 1998) is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2020 and represented her country at Miss Universe 2020 where she reached in the top 21. Early life Asya Danielle Branch was born in De ...

of Mississippi as her successor at

Miss USA 2020 Miss USA 2020 was the 69th Miss USA pageant. It was held at the Exhibition Centre and the Soundstage at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, on November 9, 2020. Akbar Gbaja-Biamila and Allie LaForce served as hosts, while Cheslie Kryst and Christia ...

Miss Universe 2019

She represented the United States at Miss Universe 2019, and placed top 10 on December 8, 2019. Her national costume was inspired by four American female icons:

Rosie the Riveter Rosie the Riveter is an allegorical cultural icon in the United States who represents the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely n ...

, the

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...

Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credi ...

, and

Lady Justice Lady Justice () is an allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems. Her attributes are scales, a sword and sometimes a blindfold. She often appears as a pair with Prudentia. Lady Justice originates from the personificat ...

Television hosting

In October 2019, Kryst became a New York City correspondent for the TV show ''

''. She interviewed actor

Terrence Howard Terrence Dashon Howard (born March 11, 1969) is an American actor performing on film and television. He has received a Screen Actors Guild Awards, Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a Golden ...

and broke the news that he was retiring from acting after the final season of the TV series ''Empire''. In 2020, Kryst was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment News Program as correspondent on ''Extra''. She was nominated again for the same award in 2021.

Death

On January 30, 2022, Kryst died by

suicide by jumping Jumping from a dangerous location, such as from a high window, balcony, or roof, or from a cliff, dam, or bridge, is a common suicide method. The 2023 ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for jumping from a high place is X80*, and this method of suicide is ...

from The Orion, a 60-story high-rise apartment building in

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

, where she lived, and was last seen on the 29th floor. On January 31, the coroner ruled her death as suicide. Kryst's mother April Simpkins released a statement, stating that Kryst had " high-functioning depression". Her death was mourned by many, including by her former classmates and professors at Wake Forest University School of Law who remembered her intelligence, warmth, and service of others. Her former contracts professor and

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean * Dean Sw ...

, Suzanne Reynolds, stated, "She always brought out the human side of the cases we studied, a gift that led her after graduation into

work on death penalty cases. I grieve with her beloved family, classmates, and the thousands she touched, especially for the pain she must have endured before we lost her.”

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kryst, Cheslie 1991 births 2022 deaths 2022 suicides 21st-century African-American women 21st-century American women lawyers 21st-century American lawyers African-American beauty pageant winners African-American bloggers African-American television hosts American women lawyers African-American women writers American beauty pageant winners American bloggers American people of Polish descent American television hosts American women television hosts American women bloggers Beauty pageant contestants from North Carolina Lawyers from Charlotte, North Carolina South Carolina lawyers Miss North Carolina USA winners Miss Universe 2019 contestants Miss USA winners People from Jackson, Michigan People from Fort Mill, South Carolina People from Rock Hill, South Carolina South Carolina Gamecocks women's track and field athletes Suicides by jumping in New York City University of South Carolina alumni Wake Forest University alumni Wake Forest University School of Law alumni 21st-century African-American lawyers