Miss USA Cheslie Kryst battled ‘high-functioning depression which she hid,’ her mom says

A former beauty queen who leaped from a Manhattan apartment building to her death battled high-functioning depression, her mom has revealed.

April Simpkins said she is ‘forever changed’ by her the death of her daughter Cheslie Kryst, a former Miss America whose bubbly and vivacious personality masked inner struggles.

‘Cheslie led both a public and a private life,’ Simpkins shared on Instagram. ‘In her private life, she was dealing with high-functioning depression which she hid from everyone – including me, her closest confidant – until very shortly before her death.’

Kryst, 30, was discovered on a sidewalk next to her luxury apartment building The Orion in Hell’s Kitchen on Sunday morning. Although she lived alone in the complex’s ninth floor, she was last seen on the 29th level.

‘While her life on this earth was short, it was filled with many beautiful memories,’ her mom said. ‘We miss her laugh, her words of wisdom, her sense of humor and mostly her hugs. We miss all of it – we miss all of her. She was a vital part of our family which makes this loss even more devastating.’

Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst told of her fear that she was ‘running out of time to matter’ in a haunting essay last March, 10 months before leaping to her death from her Manhattan apartment building

Simpkins described her daughter as a ‘ball of sunshine wrapped in smiles.’

‘We talked, FaceTimed or texted one another all day, every day. You were more than a daughter – you were my very best friend,’ she said. ‘Talking with you was one of the best parts of my day. Your smile and laugh were infectious.

‘I love you baby girl with all my heart. I miss you desperately. I know one day we’ll be together again. Until then, rest easy and in peace.’

The proud mom has for years been relishing her daughter’s accomplishments. She traveled to Israel last December to watch the 2021 Miss Universe with Kryst, who worked as an Extra correspondent.

Kryst was crowned Miss America in 2019 and was among the 10 contestants in the ensuing Miss Universe that year. 

In a haunting essay last March, just 10 months before leaping to her death, Kryst talked about the fear that she was ‘running out of time to matter.’

She wrote about being trolled online and how winning Miss USA at the age of 28 made her a target for ageist bullies, but many of her friends said on Monday they were stunned by her death and were unaware that she might have been suffering mental health issues.   

Police hold up a blue tarp to shield Kryst’s body after she jumped from the 29th floor

Kryst posted her final picture on Instagram on Sunday morning writing: ‘May this day bring you rest and peace’

Publicly, she never shared any particular struggles with mental health. In 2019, she said that she often spoke with a counselor to keep her mind healthy, but there was no indication that she was in any form of distress.

Before her death, she shared one last photo of herself on Instagram captioned: ‘May this day bring you rest and peace.’ 

Kryst was the oldest person to have won Miss USA and she also strayed from the norm with her passion for social justice; she was a trained lawyer and Black Lives Matter advocate. 

Police sources tell DailyMail.com she left a suicide note on her computer.

Those struggling with thoughts of suicide can call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.