When a sparkling tiara was placed atop Cheslie Kryst’s head crowning her Miss USA in 2019, she became a part of history.
Her victory — along with those of Miss America, Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe — marked the first time Black women held all the major pageant titles in a single year.
Kryst died Sunday after falling “from an elevated position” from a building in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen area in a suspected suicide. She was 30.
Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi called Kryst “a forever friend” in a tribute shared on Instagram.
Dec. 10, 201901:11
“Cheslie my friend, I am devastated. I didn’t sleep a wink, caught in between not believing the news and trying to make sense of what is happening,” Tunzi wrote Sunday. “You were supposed to send me photos of the outfit you were going to wear to a wedding this past Saturday and all the details that happened at the event. You took me by surprise Queen. I am not ready for a world you don’t exist in.”
“You meant everything to so many people and you forever will. You made a mark in this World and touched so many lives,” she added.
Miss America Nia Imani Franklin and Miss Teen USA Kaliegh Garris were also part of the historic slate of 2019 winners.
All of the women formed a special bond over the years.
Franklin and Kryst were featured together in Colin Kaepernick’s Netflix series “Colin in Black and White,” in which he highlighted the beauty queens’ feat in 2019.
Garris in December shared an Instagram post posing together with Kryst and Franklin at the Miss America 2022 pageant, calling them her “pageant sisters.”
In December 2019, after Tunzi’s Miss Universe win, Kryst shared on social media that the victories of the four women were “for the culture.”
“Here’s why the four of us — women of color — holding these titles is important. … Black women LITERALLY were not allowed to compete at Miss America and didn’t win at Miss USA for almost forty years after the competition began,” she wrote.
“There was a time when it was impossible for us to hold ANY ONE of these titles, let alone hold all four of them AT THE SAME TIME,” she continued. “I’m glad Zozi has joined what was our trifecta (need another word for this now) and I’m sending my congrats to other queens across the world who are breaking boundaries, smashing stereotypes, and challenging the status quo. Keep working, keep fighting.”
Franklin and Garris did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment Monday.
The Miss Universe and Miss USA organizations said in a statement that they “are devastated to learn about the loss of Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst.”
“She was one of the brightest, warmest, and most kind people we have ever had the privilege of knowing, and she lit up every room she entered,” the statement said. “Our entire community mourns her loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with her family during this difficult time.”
In addition to gracing the pageant stage, Kryst was a lawyer who worked for a firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She also worked as a correspondent for entertainment news program “Extra.”
“Our hearts are broken,” the show said in a statement. “Cheslie was not just a vital part of our show, she was a beloved part of our ‘Extra’ family and touched the entire staff.”
Kryst’s family said in a statement Sunday: “Her great light was one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength.”
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
