NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tributes continue to pour in from around the world following the tragic death of 30-year-old Cheslie Kryst on Sunday.
Police said Kryst jumped from a tall building near Times Square in New York, ending her life.
Crowned Miss USA in 2019, Kryst was a lawyer and TV correspondent for ‘Extra’ who seemed to have it all.
Those who knew her said she was a bright light.
“Whether it’s a Miss USA or a Robin Williams, you don’t know what people are going through,” said Tom Starling, president and CEO of Mental Health America of the Mid South.
We’ll never know what Kryst was going through, but an essay he wrote in Allure The magazine gave us an idea, with Kryst writing about the relentless pressures to achieve, the challenges of getting older and being bullied online.
In it, she wrote: “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve deleted comments on my social media pages that had vomit emojis and slurs telling me I wasn’t pretty enough to be Miss USA or that my musculature was actually a ‘muscle body’. man”.
“I just think about the criticism and judgment that is prevalent, especially on social media, whether you say it to someone’s face or write it on a screen, the effect those words have on a person can be more than you think. What can you imagine,” he said. Rikki Harris, CEO of TN Voices.
Our words matter, and when it comes to mental health, we need to use them more by speaking and seeking help.
“It’s okay to not be okay,” Starling said. “The only bad thing is that it is not okay to suffer in silence when there are so many therapies, treatments, telehealth and people who want to help.”
📧 May the break come to you: Sign up for News 2 email alerts →
We are all dealing with something and even beauty queens cry.
“I hear it all the time, they’re fine, they were perfect, I can’t believe this happened, everything was perfect,” Harris said. “Ask the question… are you okay? How you feel?”
Suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in Tennessee and the second leading cause of death among teens.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. You can also text the crisis text line by texting TN to 741-741.
If you want to contact TN Voices, their helpline is 1-800-670-9882 and you can Click here for your website. There will always be someone to help.
.
