Miss USA Winner Cheslie Kryst Has Died at Age 30

Cheslie Kryst, 2019 winner of the Miss USA pageant and correspondent for entertainment news program Extra, has died at age 30. On Sunday, January 30, Variety reported that Kryst was found dead in New York City that morning. Police reported that she died by suicide.

Her family confirmed her death in a statement. “In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie,” Kryst’s family wrote. “Her great light was one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength. She cared, she loved, she laughed and she shined. Cheslie embodied love and served others, whether through her work as an attorney fighting for social justice, as Miss USA and as a host on ‘Extra.’ But most importantly, as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague – we know her impact will live on. As we reflect on our loss, the family asks for privacy at this time.”

Kryst was a North Carolina attorney, former Division I athlete, and winner of the 2019 Miss USA pageant. She would go on to compete in the Miss Universe pageant that year. Her legacy is part of an important year for Black women in pageants; for the first time, Black women were the reigning Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Miss America, and even Miss Universe. She also received nominations for Outstanding Entertainment News Program in 2020 and 2021 at the Daytime Emmys, and she appeared as Miss USA in Ava DuVernay and Colin Kaepernick’s Colin in Black and White.

In a letter to Allure in March 2021, Kryst wrote about her journey, purpose, and being authentically Black in the pageant world. “Pageant girls are supposed to be model-tall and slender, don bouffant hair, and have a killer walk. But my five-foot-six frame won with six-pack abs, earned after years of competing in Division I Track and Field, and a head of natural curls in a time when generations of Black women have been taught that being ‘too Black’ would cost them wins in the boardroom and on pageant stages,” she wrote. “My challenge of the status quo certainly caught the attention of the trolls, and I can’t tell you how many times I have deleted comments on my social media pages that had vomit emojis and insults telling me I wasn’t pretty enough to be Miss USA or that my muscular build was actually a ‘man body.’ And that was just my looks. My opinions, on the other hand, were enough to make a traditional pageant fan clutch their pearls.”

She explained how important it was for her to share her opinions and values, and use her platform to promote justice. “I talked candidly about my views on the legalization of marijuana, the Trump Administration’s immigration policies, anti-abortion laws, the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and the successes and failures of criminal justice reform,” she wrote. “I openly supported the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and marched in protests over the summer. I wasn’t searching to collect more awards or recognition during my reign. Rather, I fed the passion that made waking up each morning feel worthwhile: speaking out against injustice.”

Upon news of her death, messages of grief and condolences have come in from celebrities such as her friend Zozibini Tunzi (Miss Universe 2019), Loni Love, Yvette Nicole Brown, Bernice King and the Miss USA Pageant. “You meant everything to so many people and you forever will,” Tunzi wrote in a tribute on Instagram. “You made a mark in this World and touched so many lives. We celebrate your life. I love you so, so much my forever friend and forever Miss USA.”

If you or someone you know is going through a crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which you can reach by calling 1-800-273-8255 or using the online chat feature.

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