Cheslie Kryst’s mom is reflecting on the “severity” of her daughter’sdepression.
“Did you see any preliminary signs?” co-hostWillow Smithasks Simpkins.
“I did,” she replies. “I knew Cheslie was suffering from depression — I didn’t know the severity of it.”
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April Simpkins (L); Cheslie Kryst.Red Table Talk/Facebook, Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty
According to Simpkins, January was not her daughter’s “first suicide attempt,” as Kryst has “attempted suicide before,” according to her mother.
“It was after that first attempt that she and I grew very close, and I wanted her to feel comfortable calling me: ‘If ever you’re in crisis, call me,’ " she says.
Simpkins tells Willow, 21,Jada Pinkett SmithandAdrienne Banfield-Norristhat her daughter “began taking all the right steps” to improve hermental health, explaining, “She began seeing a counselor. She was getting good sleep at night. She knew all the things to do.”
“I think what shocked so many people is when you see her on television, when you see her on Instagram,TikTok, she’s smiling, she’s bubbly, and that was Cheslie,” Simpkins adds. “But Cheslie was also battling depression, which she hid.”
RELATED VIDEO: Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst Dies at 30: “She Laughed and She Shined,” Says Family
“Cheslie embodied love and served others, whether through her work as an attorney fighting for social justice, as Miss USA and as a host onExtra. But most importantly, as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague — we know her impact will live on,” they added.
April Simpkins' episode ofRed Table Talkairs Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET onFacebook Watch.
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go tosuicidepreventionlifeline.org.
source: people.com
