April Simpkins, the mother of former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, who died by suicide in January, revealed in an interview on Wednesday, May 4, that her daughter had attempted to take her life before. She also learned of the pageant queen's death while traveling to New York to be by her side.
Kryst died on January 30 after falling "from an elevated position" from a building in New York City's Hell's Kitchen area. She was 30 years old at the time of her death, which was ruled a suicide by the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, according to Variety.
Simpkins talked about her daughter's tragic death in her first sit-down interview on the Facebook Watch show hosted by Hollywood actress Jada Pinkett Smith, her daughter Willow Smith and Pinkett-Smith's mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris.
Simpkins received an alarming message about Kryst's suicide
In the Wednesday episode of Red Table Talk, Simpkins recounted the day of Kryst's death, saying at first that it felt like any other day. However, the day took a turn for the worse when Simpkins received an alarming message.
Simpkins said that she talked to her husband about the message she received when she got home, trying to understand what she was saying. Simpkins said that was when they reached out to the police, telling them, "We got this message. Get a paramedic there."
Simpkins said that immediately, "she was thinking OK this must be the first attempt, let's get on a plane, get up there, meet her at the hospital, and let's see what we can do." Simpkins said they were texting the family as they made their way into the airport as they don't live in New York.
Simpkins added that they got the bad news when they were already on the plane, with the cops confirming that Kryst was no longer with them. Kryst won the Miss USA crown back in 2019 and worked as an entertainment news correspondent, a model, and a lawyer for a firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Not many knew, though, that Kryst struggled mightily with depression.
Simpkins reveals Cheslie Kryst attempted suicide before
When asked by the hosts if she saw any preliminary signs that this would happen, Simpkins admitted that she did. Simpkins said she knew Cheslie was suffering from depression, but she did not realize its severity.
Simpkins then made a stunning revelation, saying that Kryst had attempted to take her own life before. Simpkins said, "This was not her first suicide attempt. She attempted suicide before, and it was after that first attempt that she and I grew very close."
Simpkins said that Kryst began taking all the right steps after that suicide attempt. NBC News reported that Kryst began seeing a counselor, and she was getting good sleep at night. Simpkins said that she knew all the things to do, which made her death even more shocking.
