Cheslie Kryst is an American model and television presenter who is known for winning the title of Miss USA 2019.
Wiki/Biography
Cheslie Corrinne Kryst was born on Sunday, 28 April 1991 (age 30 years; at the time of death) in Jackson, Michigan, United States. Her zodiac sign is Taurus. She attended Northwestern High School, Rock Hill, South Carolina and Fort Mill High School, Fort Mill, South Carolina. In 2013, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in marketing and human resource management at Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina. She also pursued a Juris Doctor degree at Wake Forest University School of Law, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 2017, she pursued a Master of Business Administration degree at the Wake Forest University School of Business, North Carolina.
Physical Appearance
Height: 5′ 6″
Weight (approx.): 55 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Figure Measurements (approx.): 35-24-36
Family
Parents & Siblings
Cheslie’s biological father’s name was Rodney A. Kryst, who was a bodybuilder. Cheslie’s father was Polish American.
Her stepfather’s name is David Simpkins, who is a lawyer.
Her mother’s name is April Simpkins, who is an HR.
Her mother is African American who won the title of Mrs North Carolina US in 2002.
Cheslie has four brothers, Asa Kryst, who is a filmmaker, Chandler Kryst, who is a singer, Jet, and Brooklyn. She has one sister, Page Veronica, who is a hair artist.
Husband
Cheslie was not married.
Career
Pageantry
Cheslie started her career in 2015 after she represented the Metrolina area at the Miss North Carolina.
She won the title and became Miss North Carolina in 2015.
In 2019, she became Miss North Carolina USA.
Later in the same year, she represented North Carolina at Miss USA 2019 and won Miss USA 2019. In 2019, she represented the USA at the Miss Universe 2019 but could not win the competition.
Television
After she won the Miss USA 2019, in October 2019, she joined the celebrity news channel ‘Extra’ as a correspondent and took interviews of many American celebrities including Rihanna, Dwayne Johnson, and Oprah Winfrey.
Attorney
In 2017, after she graduated from the Wake Forest University School of Law, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, she took oath as an attorney at North Carolina Bar. She started working as a lawyer at the Poyner Spruill LLP in 2017. Sometimes, she didn’t charge money from many of her clients. She also solved a case with famous American advocate Brittany K. Barnett.
Award
In 2020, she was nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards.
Death
Cheslie died on 30 January 2022 in New York after committing suicide. It was reported that she fell from the 60th floor of the building where she lived in Midtown Manhattan, New York. Reportedly, she left a suicide note and gave all her belongings to her mother. In an interview, her family talked about Cheslie’s demise and said,
In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie. 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 updated her Instagram post a few hours before her death.
Miss Universe 2021, Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu, took to Instagram and expressed her condolences on Cheslie’s death. In the post, she wrote,
This is heartbreaking and unbelievable, you were always an inspiration to many. Rest In Peace Cheslie.”
Facts/Trivia
- Cheslie followed a non-vegetarian diet.
- Her hobbies include travelling and playing different sports.
- In an interview, she said that when she was in school, she was an introverted student, and she did not have many friends. She also added that people used to become her friends because her mother was the winner of Mrs North Carolina US.
- During her graduation, she was a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta honour society, Gamecocks women’s track and field team, and mock trial.
- She was interested in beauty pageants since childhood as her mother was a model. Cheslie won her first pageant when she was in high school and won the title of Miss Freshers.
- In 2015, she became Miss North Carolina. She appeared twice in Miss North Carolina pageant. She could not win the competition but was placed in the top ten and also became the first runner-up.
- When she was in college, she used to take part in various athletic games. In an interview, she talked about this and said,
I was a Division I athlete for four years at the University of South Carolina. For two years, I competed in the heptathlon and during my sophomore year a couple of injuries ended my season early—spinal stress fractures and a partially torn PCL. I switched events to complete my junior and senior seasons, landing top ten in the record books for the triple jump.”
- In 2016, she took part in Miss North Carolina USA pageant in which she became the fourth runner-up. In 2017, she again contested for the pageant and reached the top ten. In 2019, she earned the crown of Miss North Carolina USA. In an interview, she talked about giving so many tries to the pageant and said,
The year that I competed as Miss North Carolina USA was my last year of eligibility. And I thought, I don’t want to get to the age of 40 and look back and think, if I could have competed, I wonder what would have happened? I didn’t want that feeling of regret. I’ve had that feeling because I didn’t try or didn’t work hard enough or just didn’t give myself a chance. And I just didn’t want to feel that ever again.”
- In 2019, she was crowned as Miss USA in Miss USA pageant that was held in Reno, Nevada. She became the third woman from North Carolina to become Miss USA. She won the competition at the age of twenty-eight and became the oldest woman to win the title. She was one of the five black women who won different titles in the same year.
- After becoming Miss USA 2019, she used to write blogs under the name ‘White Collar Glam’ for the ‘Dress for Success’ campaign. In the blogs, she used to write about how women should dress efficiently and professionally at their workplace.
- In 2019, she was placed in the top ten when she appeared in Miss Universe 2019 pageant and represented the USA.
- She was one of the directors in the National Board of Directors for the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization of America.
- Kryst’s hair was curly, and she took part in the Miss USA competition representing her natural hair. In an interview, she talked about her natural hair and said,
Although more women are competing with natural hair nowadays, there still aren’t many. So, I was a little bit worried and anxious about doing it, but I thought, ‘I want to do it as the most real and authentic me,’ and that’s really what my hair represents.”
- She was often featured on the cover of various magazines.
- She was a fitness enthusiast and often posted pictures of working out at the gym on social media.