Cheslie Kryst's mother, April Simpkins, spoke out after a coroner confirmed Miss USA 2019's cause of death. Behind the jolly and optimistic "Extra" correspondent the public used to see, her mom revealed the reason why her child took her own life.
The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner ruled her death as a suicide after conducting a full autopsy. As many were surprised with the result, Simpkins revealed Kryst had been dealing with "high-functioning depression" that she kept a secret.
In a post on Instagram, the devastated mom admitted she had never known a deep pain as she was feeling now. "I am forever changed," she said.
She continued that her family and friends had just officially confirmed what they thought was the cause of the death of her "sweet baby girl." Though she knew it was hard to believe, she also affirmed it was true.
Simpkins revealed Kryst led a public and private life. Behind her public image, she said the 30-year-old beauty queen dealt with depression in private that she hid from everyone, including her mother.
The model didn't tell it to anyone "until very shortly before her death." Simpkins, then, honored the late titleholder and said she was a "ball of sunshine wrapped in smiles" to the world.
But for her mom, she was not only a daughter. She was also her best friend, whose smile and laugh was infectious. Us Weekly reported Kryst was found dead in New York City on Sunday, Jan. 30.
The police who arrived on the scene revealed the U.S. representative at the Miss Universe 2019 competition was believed to have jumped from her apartment building. After her untimely death, her family remembered her for inspiring everyone worldwide with her "beauty and strength" in an official statement via People.
They said Kryst embodied loved and served others, whether as a model, beauty queen, TV correspondent or an attorney. But amid these all, she was also a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague.
Though she's gone, they knew her impact would live on. Kryst was also an attorney who had an MBA.
She was crowned Miss USA as Miss North Carolina in May 2019 and finished in the Top 10 of the Miss Universe 2019 competition. At the time, Kryst was one of the four women who became the first group of Black women in pageant history to hold all four major titles in a year. The other three girls are Nia Imani Franklin (Miss America), Kaliegh Garris (Miss Teen USA) and Zozibini Tunzi (Miss Universe).
