Cheslie Kryst won Miss USA in 2019, before going on to build a career as an actor. Kryst can be spotted in the 2021 TV mini-series “Colin in Black & White,” which focuses on the teenage years of football star and activist Colin Kaepernick. She appears during Season 1, Episode 5, “Crystal.” According to Variety, Kryst died in New York City on January 30, 2022, at the age of 30. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner told the publication that she died by suicide.
In May 2022, her mother April Simpkins spoke with Red Table Talk about Kryst, recalling the last text message she received, which was sent the day that Kryst died. “You listen to me and care when I tell you what goes on in my life, and you’ve always made me feel like you love me … You’ve done nothing wrong, You’ve done everything right,” the text reads in part.
Simpkins has since completed writing a book that Kryst started. It’s entitled “By the Time You Read This” and is set to be released on April 23, 2024, according to publisher Simon & Schuster. The book begins with Kryst sharing her story and continues with Simpkins sharing how she has grieved her daughter. Net proceeds from the book will go to the Cheslie C. Kryst Foundation.
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