Former Miss USA winner and “Extra” correspondent Cheslie Kryst has died in a suspected suicide in Manhattan on Sunday. She was 30.
Police sources tell The New York Post that Kryst jumped from the 60-story Orion building, where she has a residence on the ninth floor, early Sunday morning and was found dead in the street below. She was last seen on a terrace on the building’s 29th floor. TheWrap has reached out to NYFD and NYPD for comment.
Kryst won the Miss USA pageant three years ago as a representative for North Carolina, later placing in the top 10 at the Miss Universe pageant. She was a former complex civil litigation attorney licensed to practice law in North and South Carolina. Since October 2019, she has served as a correspondent for the entertainment broadcast newsmagazine “Extra,” receiving two Daytime Emmy nominations for her work.
“Our hearts are broken. Cheslie was not just a vital part of our show, she was a beloved part of our ‘Extra’ family and touched the entire staff,” read a statement from the show. “Our deepest condolences to all her family and friends.”
Kryst’s family described her In a statement from her representatives as “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,” the statement read.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) is a free, 24/7 confidential service that can provide people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, or those around them, with support, information and local resources.
