Jamaican Pageant Community Mourns Loss of Former Miss Universe Jamaica Finalist Tyra Spaulding Dead At 26
Written by b87fm on 09/26/2025
The Jamaican pageant world is reeling after the sudden passing of 26-year-old Tyra Spaulding, a former finalist in Miss Universe Jamaica 2023.
Spaulding was found at her home on Tuesday evening by family members. Police confirmed the case is being treated as a suspected suicide, pending the results of an autopsy. Reports indicate Spaulding was found hanging in her bedroom with a pink curtain tied around her neck.
Behind her radiant smile on social media and her career as an accountant, Spaulding had been open about her struggles with mental health. Just weeks before her passing, she posted on Instagram that she was “going through hell” and later shared a YouTube video where she candidly spoke about battling depression and suicidal thoughts.
In the video, she revealed:
“I’m fighting for my life… my mind is trying to kill me. Every day I get up, my mind tells me to go and jump off a building. It tells me to go and overdose on pills. It tells me to go and hang myself.”
Her death has left a wave of grief in both the pageant community and across Jamaica.
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Miss Universe Jamaica 2023 winner Jordanne Lauren Levy wrote on her Instagram Story:
“My heart is heavy as I learned of the passing of a fellow contestant from the Miss Universe Jamaica family. I’m holding her loved ones in close prayer during this unimaginable time… Rest in peace Tyra.”
Another contestant, Tika Rutherford, said words couldn’t capture the loss, writing that Tyra was loved and that she wished Tyra had truly known that.
The Miss Universe Jamaica organization also paid tribute:
“Her light, grace, beauty, and kind spirit touched every life she encountered, leaving memories that will never fade.”
Spaulding was one of 30 contestants who competed in the 2023 Miss Universe Jamaica competition.
 September is National Suicide Prevention Month – a campaign designed to shed light on a crisis affecting millions of people every year. If you or someone you know needs immediate help in a crisis, call 911. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 if you want to talk or text with a counselor.
Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and the entire Jamaican pageant community during this heartbreaking time.
