Mother of Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst Opens Up About Daughter's Struggle With Depression

The mother of former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst has opened up about her daughter's struggle with depression for the first time since the controversial suicide incident in January this year.

Kryst was known for competing as a Division 1 athlete, a fighter for social justice, and a winner of two Emmy nominations for her work as an "Extra" correspondent. With all of her achievements, many wondered why she took her own life at the young age of 30.

Struggle With High-Functioning Depression

The former 2019 Miss USA's mother, April Simpkins, talked in an interview on Wednesday on "Red Table Talk" and raised awareness about her late daughter's high-functioning depression. She said that depression, contrary to what many people believe, is not always seen as someone lying in bed.

Simpkins noted that there were people who were considered "high-functioning" and getting through the day seemingly fine. She said that Kryst wore that face every day and still struggled with depression, as per Fox News.

Despite being used, high-functioning depression is not a formal diagnosis found in the common handbook that healthcare professionals use to diagnose mental healthcare conditions. It is a colloquial term that means a person meets the criteria for depression but continues to function on a daily basis without showing their condition to other people.

Psychologist and adjunct professor at Webster University in Missouri, Dr. Jameca Woody Cooper, said that this type of depression could be hidden from other people and the patient themselves. In the interview, Simpkins said that her daughter had already tried to commit suicide before the January incident.

Furthermore, the former Miss USA's mother said that the first attempt only brought them closer and came as Kryst showed signs of depression in her early 20s. According to The Root, Simpkins said the most likely factor that surprised people about her daughter's death was that Kryst was mostly seen smiling and being bubbly.

Death by Suicide

Simpkins also shared with the public the last text messages that she received from her daughter before the suicide. One of the messages showed Kryst expressing her apologies for taking her own life. The former Miss USA also said that what made her even sadder was writing the message to her mother, knowing that it would hurt her.

In the text, Kryst said she loved her mother, calling her a best friend and the person she had lived for, for years. The former Miss USA added that she wished she could stay with Simpkins but said she could not bear the crushing weight of "persistent sadness, hopelessness, and loneliness."

Simpkins also made a plea to the public and the people who were spreading rumors about her daughter's death. She said the one thing that she wanted to be laid to rest were talks and theories that Kryst was murdered. She noted that this type of misleading information would get other people involved.

She said that she knew full well that her daughter died by suicide and that it was painful for her to hear people contradict the fact. Simpkins hopes that the people who want to dirty Kryst's past should stop immediately, Business Insider reported.