PHOTO | ASHLEY MAHONEY

Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst of Charlotte meets young fans during a meet and greet at SouthPark Mall as part of a tour in June 2019. Kryst, a Charlotte attorney who went on to a correspondent role at the syndicated TV entertainment program "Extra," died Sunday in New York City of an apparent suicide.

NEW YORK – 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, who grew up in Charlotte and graduated Fort Mill High School, jumped from a Manhattan apartment building and was pronounced dead at the scene Sunday morning. Her family confirmed her death in a statement.

“In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie,” the statement said.

“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," her family said.

Kryst, a former Division I track and field athlete at the University of South Carolina and Charlotte attorney, won the Miss USA pageant in May 2019, and competed in the Miss Universe pageant that year. When Kryst was crowned, it marked more than a personal triumph: It meant that for the first time, three Black women were the reigning Miss USA, Miss Teen USA and Miss America.

“One of the really exciting visits that I’m making is to the North Carolina Supreme Court,” Kryst told The Post shortly after earning the crown. “I’m going to be meeting with Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, who is the first black female chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. I am a woman of color. Miss America, Nia Franklin, is a woman of color, and Kaliegh Garris, Miss Teen USA, is also a woman of color. It’s really cool for me to meet with Justice Cheri Beasley while I’m there in Raleigh.”

In a statement Sunday, the nationally syndicated program “Extra” called Kryst “not just a vital part of our show, she was a beloved part of our Extra family and touched the entire staff. Our deepest condolences to all her family and friends.”

The University of South Carolina mourned the former student-athlete, calling her “a woman of many talents.” Kryst also earned an MBA from Wake Forest University.
According to police, Kryst's body was found at approximately 7 a.m. Sunday in front of the Orion building, a high-rise on West 42nd Street in midtown Manhattan.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available for those in distress: 1-800-273-8255.

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