A trans flight attendant who spearheaded a United Airlines campaign on transgender awareness has taken her own life after sharing a heartbreaking post on social media with the message “I’m so sorry.”
Tributes have been paid to Kayleigh Scott, 25, after she was found dead at her home in Denver, Colorado on Monday.
Kayleigh appeared in the commercial in 2020 to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility, which falls on March 31.
A heartbreaking post on her Instagram and Facebook pages hours before her death read: “As I take my last breath and leave this earth alive, I would like to apologize to everyone I have let down.”
‘I’m very sorry I couldn’t have been better. To the ones I love, I’m sorry, I couldn’t be stronger. To those who gave me everything, I regret that my effort has not been reciprocated.
Tributes have been paid to Kayleigh Scott, 25, a trans flight attendant who spearheaded a campaign for United Airlines, after she was found dead at her home in Denver, Colorado on Monday.
A post on Kayleigh’s Instagram and Facebook pages hours before her death began: “As I take my last breath and leave this earth alive, I would like to apologize to everyone I have let down.”
‘Please understand that my departure is not a reflection of you, but the result of my own inability to improve. To Ashley, Cynthia, Regine and Sophia. Very sorry.
Please remember me for the good memories we’ve shared, and never for my downfall. I’ll see you all again on the other side.’
She concluded the note with the words “Brianna, I’m coming,” in reference to her friend Brianna Moore, who took her own life at age 15 in February 2016.
Friends initially responded with messages of support and offers of help for Kayleigh, with several also reaching out to authorities with their concerns about the post.
But several hours later her sister, Ashley Scott, confirmed that she had passed away.
“To everyone who has commented and seen this post, Kay has passed away,” Ashley said. ‘Thank you for her concern and her outpouring of love for her. We are going to miss her very much.’
The United Airlines campaign video opened with photos of her before and after the transition.
In the United film, Kayleigh says, “My life changed for the better when I came to United as a flight attendant.”
Kayleigh was found dead at her home in Colorado on Monday after posting a message on social media that read “I’m so sorry.”
Kayleigh was featured in a United Airlines campaign for Transgender Day of Awareness on March 31, 2020
Narrating the video, Kayleigh says: ‘Don’t let that smile fool you. There was so much pain behind the eyes of that sweet boy.
‘I don’t normally post about my transition here on my feed, let alone it’s a rare sight in my stories. I used to be so ashamed of being trans, and all I wanted was to blend in and be cis.
“But times have changed and I began to look back at the big picture and understand that I have a story to tell.”
Kayleigh’s latest post ended with the note ‘Brianna, I’m coming’, referring to her friend Brianna Moore (pictured) who took her own life in 2016, aged just 15.
The video shows Kayleigh at work in her United uniform and at Pride events with her colleagues.
She adds: ‘My life changed for the better when I came to United as a flight attendant. With the support of the company, our LGBTQ+ employee business resource group, and all of my beloved co-workers, I was able to break free from the chains that bound me.
“And to this day, I am confidently living as the real me.”
Kayleigh’s mother, Andrea Sylvestro, shared a touching tribute to her ‘beautiful daughter.’
Posting on Facebook, she wrote: “I am so incredibly proud to have you as my daughter, proud and in awe of everything you have done in your life, your smile was absolutely beautiful, your laugh was unbelievably contagious, your heart was bigger than any of we could have understood.
The Denver Police Department said its investigation into Kayleigh’s death was ongoing and the Office of the Medical Examiner was also involved.
United Airlines said: “We are incredibly saddened by the tragic loss of Kayleigh Scott and extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends and co-workers.”
If you or someone you know is having difficulty, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988