Cheslie Kryst’s parents are Rodney Kryst and April Simpkins. Cheslie Kryst’s mother, April Simpkins, is of African American origin and is a former pageant queen turned business executive. Cheslie Kryst’s father, Rodney Kryst, on the other hand, is Polish-American and is a former bodybuilder.
Cheslie Kryst’s parents taught her their various passions from an early age. This enabled her to become a successful high school athlete, beauty queen, and lawyer. Her parents remained her biggest cheerleaders all through the various milestones she achieved. When she took her own life in January 2022, they expressed grief at the loss.
Cheslie Kryst’s Mother Is A Former Beauty Queen Named April Simpkins
Cheslie Kryst’s mother is April Simpkins, a former pageant queen turned HR guru and successful businesswoman. April Simpkins is a native of Michigan and was born on the 25th of March, 1968. She has African American ancestry.
April Simpkins grew up in places such as Michigan and North Carolina and completed a good level of education. She became interested in pageantry at some point and participated in various competitions. By the year 2002, she was crowned Mrs. North Carolina US.
April Simpkins is an HR Guru and Runs a Consultancy Firm
April Simpkins is now a successful human resources manager with her own consultancy company known as HRS & S Consulting. Before setting up the company, Simpkins first obtained national professional certification in human resources. She then spent several years working in that role for different companies across different industries.
April Simpkins now heads her boutique HR consultancy firm known as HRS & S Consulting. The company is based in North Carolina and provides consulting in Human Resources with a focus on retention, performance, and regulatory compliance. They specialize in helping small business owners align the organization’s employment strategies with its vision and goals.
April Simpkins is a member of the National Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). She also serves on the board of the Charlotte Area Industry Liaison Group (CALG). She is a notable public speaker as well.
Who Is Cheslie Kryst’s Father?
Cheslie Kryst’s father is a white American man named Rodney Kryst. Rodney Kryst was born in 1959 and is a native of Michigan as well. Not much is known about his family background, but he does have polish origins.
Cheslie Kryst’s father presently resides in North Carolina. His current occupation is unknown, but he would make his living through honest means. He was previously a bodybuilder and possibly took part in competitions or worked as a personal trainer in the past.
Cheslie Kryst’s Parents Were Married for Several Years but Later Divorced
Cheslie Kryst’s parents most likely married sometime in the early 90s or late 80s. Their marriage lasted for several years, during which they welcomed four children together, including Cheslie. They later divorced when Cheslie was still at a young age. Following that divorce, April Simpkins moved on with her life and remarried a man named David Simpkins.
There is, however, no indication that Rodney Kryst remarried. While growing up, Cheslie Kryst divided her time between her father and mother, and they cared for her quite well. Her stepfather also turned out to be a good influence on her as well.
The Couple Inspired Their Daughter’s Love for Beauty Pageantry and Athletics
Cheslie Kryst’s parents were very instrumental to the success that she achieved in life as an attorney, beauty pageant queen, and TV correspondent. For instance, Cheslie Kryst’s dad was a bodybuilder while she was growing up and told her many stories about his body-building career. He also introduced her to athletics, and she became an accomplished track and field athlete in high school and college.
Cheslie Kryst developed abs, calves, and muscled thighs due to her athletic exploits and proudly showed them off any chance she got. One of those occasions was when she started taking part in beauty competitions, and it was her mom that laid the foundation for her. Her mom remained supportive throughout her grueling pageantry run and was there when she has crowned Miss USA in 2019.
Cheslie Kryst’s parents Were Devastated When She Committed Suicide and Attributed it to Depression
Cheslie Kryst’s parents remained close to her despite all the fame and glitz. They were thus devastated when she committed suicide in January 2022. Kryst’s mother, April Simpkins, granted an interview on The Red Table Talk Show in which she revealed that her daughter was dealing with high functioning depression and had previously attempted suicide in her 20s.
April Simpkins revealed that this first suicide attempt made her and her daughter quite close, and she (April) tried to be there for her daughter. They texted and facetime every single day. They also took vacations together. All this could not stave off the demons, and April revealed that her daughter’s death had changed her forever and caused the kind of pain she had never experienced. She also revealed that she was seeing a grief counselor to deal with her pains.
April Simpkins also revealed that her daughter sent her a text message on the day she died. In the text, the late Kryst stated that she wished she could stay back but couldn’t bear the crushing weight of persistence, sadness, hopelessness, and loneliness any longer. She also stated that she had never told her mom about these feelings because she never wanted her mom to worry.
She then went on to thank her mom for being there for her during some of her loneliest moments. Cheslie Kryst’s father also gave a short interview in which he disclosed that his daughter was clean, never used drugs, or was an alcoholic. He attributed her suicide to depression and family dysfunction.
Cheslie Kryst’s Parents Also Had Three Other Kids Together, including Asa Kryst, a Professional Player
Cheslie Kryst’s parents had a total of four children together. They are two daughters, Cheslie Kryst and Page Kryst, and two sons – Asa and Chandler Kryst. Cheslie was the eldest, while the second eldest was Asa Kryst. Asa was born in 1993, making him two years older than Cheslie.
He is a professional soccer player and played college soccer at the University of South Carolina. He turned pro in 2016 and has played for sides such as Bendigo City FC (Australia) and Charlotte Independence (USA).
Not much information is available on page Kryst and Chandler Kryst, but they are still of school age. Aside from the four children she shares with Rodney Kryst, April Simpkins also has two children with her new husband – David Simpkins. They are sons, Jet and Brooklyn Simpkins.
