Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst’s death is being investigated by the New York Police Department (NYPD), a spokesperson said.
The NYPD will look into the circumstances surrounding the death of Kryst, 30, who won the pageant in 2019, Detective Martin Brown told media outlets on Jan. 31.
Officials said Kryst, who also was an attorney, jumped to her death from a Manhattan building; Brown said it’s standard procedure to investigate any apparent suicides.
A medical examiner’s report hasn’t been released on her cause of death.
“In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie,” Kryst’s family said in a statement. “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.”
Kryst also worked as a correspondent for the TV show “Extra.”
“Our hearts are broken,” a statement from the show reads. “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.”
“While she was well known to many because of her reign as Miss USA in 2019, to our Fort Mill staff she will be remembered as a sweet, well-liked girl named CeCi,” officials at a school she attended, the Fort Mill School District in South Carolina, wrote in a Facebook post on Jan. 31. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family as they deal with this tragic loss.”
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said on Jan. 31 that Kryst was a “role model.”
“Our prayers are with her family. ... Check in with your loved ones,“ Cooper said. ”If you feel overwhelmed, seek out help.”