Reigning Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu has mourned the loss of Miss USA 2019 pageant winner Cheslie Kryst who died Sunday after jumping from her apartment building in New York, according to police.
Representing India, Sandhu, who won the Miss Universe title in December in Israel where her paths crossed with Kryst, who was at the pageant reporting as a correspondent for the entertainment news programme ‘Extra.’
Sandhu posted an image of the two of them, taken backstage shortly after she won the Miss Universe title, where the two beauty queens are seen sharing a laugh. “This is heartbreaking and unbelievable, you were always an inspiration to many,” posted Sandhu in her Instagram Story. “Rest in peace Cheslie.”
The image, along with a second one featuring the two of them, also made it Kryst’s Instagram account on the day Sandhu won the crown, with a message that read: “CONGRATULATIONS to the new Miss Universe @harnaazsandhu_03 of India!!!! I interviewed our new queen backstage for @extratv mere minutes after she was crowned and even in the hectic rush of getting makeup touch ups and adjusting her crown, she was poised and personable. Excited to see what she has in store this year!,” posted Kryst.
According to the police, Kryst jumped from a Manhattan apartment building and was pronounced dead at the scene Sunday morning, pointing towards a suicide. Her family confirmed the 30-year-old’s death in a statement.
“In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie. Her great light was one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength,” her family said, according to AP.
Kryst, a former Division I athlete and North Carolina attorney, won the Miss USA pageant in May, 2019, and competed in the Miss Universe pageant that year.
