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Sushmita Sen mourns the death of Miss Universe 1995

Sushmita Sen mourns the death of Miss Universe 1995

Sep 10, 2018
01:36 pm

What's the story

Pageant queen Chelsi Smith, who won the crowns of Miss USA and Miss Universe in 1995, lost her battle to liver cancer on Saturday. She was 45. Notably, Chelsi became the first African-American model to be crowned Miss Texas in 1994. Former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen took to Twitter to pay tribute to Chelsi and shared a throwback picture from their pageant days.

Twitter Post

Rest in peace, my friend: Sushmita remembers Chelsi

Details

Remembering Chelsi, a bit about her life

Born in 1973, Chelsi became the first African-American to grab the title of Miss Texas. At the age of 22, she snagged the title of Miss USA and Miss Universe in 1995, and vowed to fight racism after being identified as black in her pageantry circuit. Notably, her mother was white and her father was African-American.

Family's statement

Chelsi's family remembers her fondly

The groundbreaking beauty queen's family remembers her fondly for leaving an "indelible mark" on everyone who knew her. "Chelsi was our loving daughter, niece, and friend. We will miss her infectious laughter, and free spirit," the family's statement read. "She always appreciated the expressions of love and good will from people from all walks of life." People from industry also paid tribute to her.

Twitter Post

Former Miss Teen USA remembers Chelsi

Information

A model, an actor and a singer

Chelsi was not just a beauty queen but also a model-turned-actress, and a singer. She was seen in films like 'Playas Ball' and 'One Night Stand' and participated in TV show 'Wheel of Fortune'. She is survived by her mother Mary Denise Trimble.