What happened to late former Miss Universe Chelsi Smith? Cause of death and more explored as pageant renames Miss Congeniality award after her

Former Miss Universe Chelsi Smith died in September 2018 after battling liver cancer at 45. Smith gained recognition when she bagged the title of Miss Texas in 1995 and won Miss USA and Miss Universe just months later. At the time, Smith became the first and only woman from Texas to win both pageants, and first American woman in 15 years to claim the Miss Universe title.

The Miss USA organization declared at the 74th Annual Miss USA pageant that the Miss Congeniality Award would be renamed in Chelsi Smith's honor. During the Miss USA Finals on October 24 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, Olivia Jordan, co-host, revealed that the Miss Congeniality Award would be renamed in honor of the late former Miss Universe, Chelsi Smith.

"We are making history. We have decided to rename the Miss Congeniality award after one of the most iconic beauty queens in history. In 1995, Chesli Smith won Miss Texas USA, Miss USA and then Miss Universe. She also won Miss Congeniality in nearly every pageant she competed in."

Jordan continued,

"In 2018, Chelsi lost her battle with cancer. The Miss USA organization wants to honor her legacy by renaming Miss Congeniality the Chelsi Smith Congeniality award."

Miss Delaware, Tetra Shaylice Shockley won the Chelsi Smith Congeniality Award this year.

More about Chelsi Smith

Chelsi Smith was born to Craig Smith, an African-American maintenance man, and Mary Denise Trimble, who worked as a secretary. Before winning Miss USA, Chelsi was a sophomore majoring in education at San Jacinto College.

Smith was diagnosed with liver cancer in Spring 2017, after which her health majorly declined. Her family released a statement at the time of her passing and described Chelsi,

"Chelsi was our loving daughter, niece and friend. We will miss her infectious laughter, joie de vivre, and free spirit. She left an inedible mark on all those who knew her."

After winning Miss Universe, Smith began her career as a model and worked for Hawaiian Tropic, Jantzen, Pontiac, Venus Swimwear, Pure Proten among many other brands.

She made appearances on Martin, Due South, and TLC documentary, The History of the Bathing Suite.

She also began a career in music and co-wrote and recorded her fisr single Dom Da Da as per of the the soundtrack of Cameron Diaz starrer The Sweetest Thing.

She co-hosted Beyonce's special, Beyonce: Family and Friends Tour, and appeared in Saladin Patterson's short film One Flight Stand. Chelsi returned to the pageant world as a judge at the 2006 Miss Teen USA pageant and a guest judge for the Miss Peru 2016 beauty pageant.

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