“I think what shocked so many people is that when you see [Cheslie Kryst] on television, when you see her on Instagram, on TikTok, she’s smiling, she’s bubbly, and that was Cheslie. But, Chelsie also battled depression, which she hid,” said April Simpkins, mother of Miss USA 2019 winner who died in January after committing suicide. April spoke about her 30-year-old daughter’s struggles in PEOPLE’s preview of the upcoming episode of Red Table Talk. When Willow Smith asked if April saw any “preliminary signs,” April said that she did. “I knew Cheslie was suffering from depression — I didn’t know the severity of it.”
“This was not her first suicide attempt,” April told Willow, Jaden Smith, and Adrienne Banfield-Norris. “She had attempted suicide before. It was after that first attempt that she and I grew very close, and I wanted her to feel comfortable calling me. ‘If ever you’re in crisis, call me.’ And she began taking all the right steps. She began seeing a counselor. She was getting good sleep at night. She knew all the things to do.”
Cheslie perished on Jan. 30 after leaping to her death from the 60-story Orion at 350 West 42nd Street in New York City. Cheslie worked at the Proyner Spruill Law Firm as an associate, with her legal focus on complex civil litigation. She also worked as a host of EXTRA, and her family at the show issued a statement following her death. “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. Our deepest condolences to all her family and friends,” the show’s statement read.
Days after her death, the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner confirmed that Cheslie’s death was a suicide. “Her great light was one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength,” her family said in a statement that confirmed her death. “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.”
Cheslie’s death was grieved by Olivia Culpo, Caelynn Miller-Keyes, Sarah Rose Summers, and many others who knew and cared for her.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.