She was a woman envied by many. A beauty queen, a lawyer, and a following of over half a million. Then on January 30, 2022 headlines of former Miss USA leapt to her death flooded the news. Her name was Cheslie Kryst and she was only 30 years old.
Why would someone who had worked so hard to get where she was and succeeded be faced with such despair causing her to take her own lice?
No one will ever no for sure but there are certain clues she left on her social media and in interviews. In hindsight, people may wonder why no one noticed yet it is known that victims of suicide often fight these battles discretely and alone.
Cheslie Kryst mentioned in a previous interview with Allure magazine that people would comment mean things on her social media posts stating she was ”too muscular” or that she “looked like a man”.
Perhaps this wasn’t the reason but nobody is unbreakable. At surface level, she looked like she had it all. So, people making hateful comments to her saw her status over her personhood. They devalued her life.
It’s easy to be rude or hateful. It doesn’t take any sort of special skill to out someone down. However, to be kind and patient is a skill. To be happy for someone else’s success is a life-giving trait to others.
In that same interview, Kryst talks about the pressure she feels in regards to turning 30.
“Each time I say ‘I’m turning 30,’ I cringe a little. Sometimes I can successfully mask this uncomfortable response with excitement; other times, my enthusiasm feels hollow, like bad acting. Society has never been kind to those growing old, especially women.”
No matter what walk of life a person is in there are ways in which others think that person should behave.
Her last Instagram post was a photo of herself with the caption ”May this day bring you rest and peace”. It’s likely she was referring to herself. Someone who felt the constant pressure of what society thought she should be instead of seeing how wonderful she was just being herself. Her family left with questions and completely shattered without her.
It is a reminder that just because someone seems happy doesn’t mean they truly are happy. It could be your friend with the successful career, your little sister that always up for anything, or the housewife with the beautiful family. Or it could be you. Maybe you are feeling despair—please know there is always someone who cares. There is also always a solution no matter one. Call the National Suicide Hotline 800-273-8255 or share it to your own social media in case someone is suffering behind closed doors.
Why someone starts feeling despair and as if there is no way out could be an accumulation of many pressures adding up. It could be mental illness or past trauma. It may also be due to a recent life-changing event such as someone recently finding out they are expecting. If you or someone you know are expecting and feel like you don’t know what the options are then please call our helpline at 877-398-7734. Our call responders are trained to help you with that specific issue.
Remember, be kind to others and be kind to yourself. You are loved.