DEVASTATING

Beloved Trans Flight Attendant in United Ad Dies by Suicide

Kayleigh Scott, 25, posted on Instagram a goodbye message before she killed herself. She was found dead Monday in Colorado.

Kayleigh Scott, a transgender flight attendant made famous by a 2020 United Airlines post for Trans Day of Visibility, has died by apparent suicide. The 25-year-old made an Instagram post earlier this week announcing her plan to end her life, and was found dead in her Denver, Colorado, apartment Monday after her alarmed followers alerted police. “As I take my final breaths and exit this living earth, I would like to apologize to everyone I let down,” Scott wrote in her devastating final post. “I am so sorry I could not be better. To those that I love, I am sorry I could not be stronger.” Scott ended the post with the note, “Brianna, I’m coming.” Although she didn’t specify who she was referring to, a transgender British teenager, Brianna Ghey, was murdered in February in what is being investigated as a hate crime. A 2022 study found that half of trans and non-binary people in the U.S. have considered suicide over the past year, citing an onslaught of anti-trans legislation and rhetoric spearheaded by right-wing politicians.

If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. You can also text or dial 988.