Cheslie Kryst obit

Woman who jumped from NYC high-rise identified as Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst

 

She was not on the list.

The woman who leaped to her death from a Midtown high-rise Sunday was former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, law enforcement sources told The Post.

Shortly before she jumped, Kryst posted on her Instagram page, “May this day bring you rest and peace.”

The 2019 pageant winner and 30-year-old lawyer jumped from her luxury 60-story Orion building at 350 W. 42nd St. around 7:15 a.m. and was found dead in the street below, sources said.

“In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie,” the former beauty queen’s family said in a statement Sunday.

“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.

“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,” her family said. “But most importantly as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague — we know her impact will live on.”

Kryst, who lived on the ninth floor of the building, was alone when she jumped and was last seen on a 29th-floor terrace, sources said.

Sources said Kryst left behind a note saying she wanted to leave everything to her mother, a former pageant competitor herself who was crowned Mrs. North Carolina in 2002. The note didn’t include a motive for Kryst’s actions, sources said.

“Not only beautiful but she was smart — she was a lawyer,” a police source said of Kryst. “She has a life that anyone would be jealous of. … It’s so sad.”

Kryst, a former Miss North Carolina, won top honors at the 2019 Miss USA pageant, wearing a sparkly winged outfit for the National Costume competition, a nod to Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”

Kryst also worked as a reporter for ExtraTV.

“Our hearts are broken,” the company 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. Our deepest condolences to all her family and friends.”

Kryst won the 2019 Miss USA pageant in a year where black women all own five major pageants.

Kryst also held a law and master's in business degree from Wake Forest University and was working as an attorney in North Carolina before entering the pageant scene. She was previously a Division 1 track-and-field athlete at University of South Carolina.

After winning the pageant, Kryst joined entertainment television program "Extra" as a correspondent, where the show's producers cited her as a "vital part of our show"

"Our hearts are broken," Extra 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. Our deepest condolences to all her family and friends."

Politicians also expressed their condolences Sunday on Kryst's death.

"I am deeply saddened to learn of my friend Cheslie Kryst's passing. Cheslie was an inspiration and a role model for so many," said North Carolina Senate candidate Cheri Beasley, who also served as Chief Justice of the state's Supreme Court, in a tweet.

"She was brilliant and talented, and she used her gifts to uplift women and pursue a better world. She will be sorely missed," she added.

"I am heartbroken to hear about the tragic death of former Miss North Carolina & Miss USA Cheslie Kryst," Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said in a tweet.