Miss USA Cheslie Kryst’s Mother Speaks About Her Successes, Struggles, and Suicide

Рет қаралды 16,308

Ай бұрын

Cheslie Kryst died by suicide on January 30th, 2022. Before she took her life she asked her mother, April Simpkins, to publish the manuscript she had written chronicling her life and journey to becoming Miss USA. In my conversation with April she talks about picking up Cheslie’s narrative where she left off, what her daughter was like as a child, whether or not participating in pageants exacerbated Cheslie’s mental health issues, and what she’s hoping readers take away from the book titled “By the Time You Read This: The Space between Cheslie's Smile and Mental Illness―Her Story in Her Own Words.”
If you or someone you know are thinking about harming yourself or attempting suicide, tell someone who can help right away call or text 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The Lifeline provides 24-hour, confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Para ayuda en español, llame al 988.
Cheslie's family is supporting the National Alliance on Mental Illness to honor her legacy an provide help and hope to others experiencing mental health challenges.Your donation honoring Cheslie's memory will help ensure that individuals and families affected by mental challenges are not alone on their journey. To donate to the Cheslie C. Kryst Foundation for Mental Health go to: donate.nami.org/give/458424/#...
Sign up here for daily email updates from me, Katie Couric, on the news that matters most to you:
katiecouric.com/wake-up-call/...
Subscribe to my channel: / katiecouric
Follow me on Instagram: / katiecouric
Subscribe to my podcast: ApplePodcasts.com/KatieCouric
Follow me on Facebook: / katiecouric
Follow me on Twitter: / katiecouric

Пікірлер: 41

@mtnpeace2 Ай бұрын

What a strong, vulnerable, authentic, and very beautiful soul. Her loss, and her family’s, is unimaginable, yet she chooses to bare her grief-stricken heart and teach us all about depressive illness. I admire her and appreciate all her efforts, especially as a 76 year old woman who has struggled with depression and anxiety my whole life! Thank God we are beginning to talk about it and acknowledge the reality, rather than hiding it in shame for fear of judgment or categorizing it as being lazy, not snapping out of it, mentally crazy, and on and on! Thank you so much to all working to get this to us!❤️🦋🙏

@donnabaardsen5372 Ай бұрын

❤️❤️🙏🙏🌻

@benjipamkaplan796 Ай бұрын

Thank you for BRAVELY sharing your heart

@tammyg8031 Ай бұрын

My heart goes out to you. I suffered from a deep depression for nearly 5 yesrs...no one understood and many blew me off..Thanks for articulating this disease well.

@ggcruise Ай бұрын

How very generous to share your pain openly to help others. I am so sorry for your loss and wish you peace.

@donnabaardsen5372 Ай бұрын

This is the most moving story Katie has ever shared. God bless this darling mother. Two beautiful souls🙏🙏😪😪❤️❤️

@aimeeamigone2717 Ай бұрын

How could anyone say anything about her body????? She was lovely and beautiful❤

@Alisacrooks4491 Ай бұрын

This has got to be the most realest, vulnerable, and heart pulling interview that I have ever watched. Mrs. April words hit it right on the head of how living with depressed feels like. As a fan of Cheslie, her book feel like a gift to hear from her one last time and to have closure. It is also a reminder that as we navigate through life we need to take care of love ourselves and these around us. ❤

@patriciadimichele1850 Ай бұрын

You are an amazing women and mom. Thank you so much for sharing so openly. It will help many.

@Retroglamamour Ай бұрын

Powerful interview! ❤️ in tears. 🥺 Cheslie made a huge impact on so many people. I was so shocked and upset when I read the news of her passing, I thought someone was playing a prank. I know all of us think to ourselves, what we would do to have her still here with us 🥺🙏🏻 I hope her story helps someone accept the help they need instead of minimizing until they can’t anymore💔

@esiler8801 Ай бұрын

I truly admire your strength. You offer survivors of this tragedy a hope that is unmatched in many of the bereavement circles I have visited. Thank you for your words....it speaks to my soul. God Bless you April.

@Mama_T_448 Ай бұрын

This video is soooo Beautiful and Important ❤️💔❤️💔❤️

@carolynspence1836 Ай бұрын

Iam reading her book now.. she was just so beautiful ❤

@tjbmom123 16 сағат бұрын

Very well stated, my prayers are with her Mom and family 💔🙏🏽

@xlkarma8446 Ай бұрын

Thank you mom. Don’t judge yourself. We, as suicidal individuals don’t judge anyone else. We will do whatever to do the worst. It’s not about fault or blame. It just is.

@diyafalife4 Ай бұрын

She is so eloquent. Love hearing her speak and I really feel for her. I bought their book

@remstew7517 Ай бұрын

8:05-9:00 That’s true - every day is a victory when you have depression and it takes enormous amounts of energy to keep going. Nobody talks about the exhaustion. She alluded to it in her final post. Thank you to her mother for bringing awareness to this horrendous illness and may she be comforted ❤️

@beautifulone5509 Ай бұрын

I think there is a lot that her mother isn't saying. Her 1st suicide attempt was in her early twenty's. There had to have been signs early on as a teen or even younger. What was happening in this family and her life in childhood??

@marysmith3761 Ай бұрын

Getting help is expensive.

@pauletteclough1002 Ай бұрын

You are amazing mother to your wonderfull daughter may her soul rest in peace 🙏 god blessing 🙌 ❤❤❤👸

@aimeeamigone2717 Ай бұрын

Depression is a mthr fkr. Up and down struggle. No joke

@brooklynusa670 Ай бұрын

So sad. Thank you for not blaming Miss USA because at least the pageant some happiness to her life

@wakeuppeople5815 Ай бұрын

What a beautiful Mom and you raised a beautiful daughter and that light she had you can pick up her torch and breathe life into others

@MsDisneylandlover Ай бұрын

This was so sad. Beautiful girl. And she took her life smh. I pray she repented before the lord and she is went the lord. Very beautiful young lady and so sad what happened to her mentally.

@aimeeamigone2717 Ай бұрын

God love her and this mother❤

@xlkarma8446 Ай бұрын

Bless you. May “GOD” bring you peace .

@myrnaa8082 29 күн бұрын

🙏🏾

@thomaswilson7441 Ай бұрын

🤍💯🎯👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

@liubakazakevic9818 10 күн бұрын

I know i am going to be the next Cheslie. No, i am not that beautiful and i am white and from Europe. But i suffer from severe depression and OCD and i feel suicidal most of the time. I am also all alone in this world. My dear Mom died in 2022, i never knew my Father, i am single and i have no kids and even no siblings. Being completely alone in this world is horrible and terrifying. I just want to die and be with my Mom and Grandmom again (if it's even possible! If not, then i will just sleep with no dreams forever). There is no point in this life and no reason to go on. I do understand how Cheslie felt, i do know her pain and she DID have the right to do what she did! I love you Cheslie and April, please, you have to stay strong!

@nikibarbiewu4663 8 күн бұрын

Stay strong hun😢 Easier said than done 🙏 Please get help if you can 🫂

@MsDisneylandlover Ай бұрын

I know the funny i lost 2 moms cancer. Everything it is hard..❤

@mandybradley3079 Ай бұрын

She was extremely unhappy, and told no close family? Or was she clinically depressed? Sad situation.

@Youtuber5775- Ай бұрын

The mother is very open about her daughter’s struggles with depression because she committed suicide. She was a beautiful young woman with the whole world at her feet. 😢

@MsDisneylandlover Ай бұрын

@@KZfaqr5775-i guess she didn't see it that way. She beautiful and so smart. Smh.

@slaws2279 Ай бұрын

I wish she didn’t do this to herself 💔 Maybe it would’ve helped her to know that she wasn’t alone in how she felt.

@HoneySuckle123 14 күн бұрын

3:47 😘

@BRAIRCO Ай бұрын

They are all hypocrites, they keep talking about "Christy" but no one says that her big conflict was that she was LESBIAN and didn't know how to handle the issue. They talk a lot but hide everything.

@kimjackson557 Ай бұрын

Please explain how you know this

@killingtimewithsimone3243 Ай бұрын

Can you provide some more details ?

@Jaycarbrownie12 27 күн бұрын

Sounds like you hoped she was lesbian lol

@richardbocanegra5945 Ай бұрын

Another example why they need to do away with beauty pageants .. as well as these creepy stage mothers. Tragic when she jumped out of her high rise apt .. bad parenting.