Cheslie Kryst, the 2019 winner of the Miss USA pageant and a correspondent for the entertainment news program “Extra,” has died at age 30. Police said Kryst jumped from a Manhattan apartment building and was pronounced dead at the scene Sunday morning, reports AP. Her family confirmed her death in a statement. Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu mourned the tragic demise saying she is heartbroken after hearing about the sudden demise.
Taking to her Instagram Story on Monday, Harnaaz posted an endearing photo in which she can be seen having a hearty laugh with Cheslie. The photo was clicked after Harnaaz was crowned Miss Universe 2021 in the event held in Eilat, Israel. Mourning the tragic demise, she wrote, "This is heartbreaking and unbelievable, you were always an inspiration to many. Rest In Peace Cheslie."
Harnaaz Sandhu and Cheslie Kryst
The 30-year-old beauty queen, lawyer, fashion blogger and Extra TV correspondent fell from a "higher elevation" of a 60-story condominium in New York City just after 7 am on Sunday, January 30, and was pronounced dead at the scene, an NYPD spokesperson told E! News.
The NYPD has shared that the death of Kryst, who lived on the ninth floor, appears to be a suicide, adding that a medical examiner has yet to determine the official cause. Kryst was born in Jackson, Michigan in 1991 and grew up in South Carolina. She attended the University of South Carolina and in 2017, graduated from Wake Forest University School of Law. She worked as a lawyer at North Carolina firm Poyner Spruill LLP as a civil litigator. She also founded the women's business apparel blog White Collar Glam. In 2019, she won the title of Miss North Carolina USA and after being crowned Miss USA 2019, she took a sabbatical from work. In 2020, her firm appointed her its first diversity advisor. Also in 2019, Kryst began working as a New York correspondent for Extra.
--with ANI inputs