The untold story of 90s model Chrissy Taylor’s death at age 17

In the late ’80s and early ’90s, you couldn’t read a teen magazine without seeing a photo of supermodel Niki Taylor, who started modeling at age 13.

Her sister Kristen “Chrissy” Taylor followed in her footsteps in 1990, and at the time, the blonde, long-legged sisters from Pembroke Pines, Florida, were always sought after by brands like L’Oréal.

The story ended tragically on July 2, 1995, when Niki found 17-year-old Chrissy lying unresponsive and face down near her parents’ front door in the early morning hours. Niki, who was 20 years old at the time, immediately called 911.

Niki frantically told the operator, “She’s not breathing…her face is bruised and she’s cold,” while her father, Ken, desperately tried to revive her by administering CPR.

“Her breasts aren’t rising. Nothing’s happening. We need someone here right now!” Nikki told the operator. The young model was rushed to Memorial Hospital West, where CPR was continued, and she was pronounced dead at 5:39 a.m.

shocking loss

The news of Chrissy’s death shocked the world, especially those who knew her. Sure, she was a famous model, but by all accounts she was also just a plain teenager who attended her last prom and spent her free time roller skating, jet skiing, and line dancing with her best friends who called themselves the Redneck Girls.

She turned down jobs overseas and never traveled unaccompanied. Her parents, Barbara and Ken, always accompanied her to shoots and made sure her clothes weren’t too revealing. “I know Barbara has been criticized for being a stage mom, but for me, this was a way for my family to show that they love and care about their girls.”

what happened?

After Chrissy’s mysterious death, rumors spread quickly as there were no toxicology reports. In New York, fashion insiders privately speculated that she may have been using Primatene Mist, an over-the-counter asthma drug, to get high in the hours before her death.

Others wondered if she was dealing with stress by abusing alcohol or drugs, or if her parents Barbara, 48, and Ken, 54, were putting pressure on her to live in front of the cameras. But close friends insisted she was not drinking.

Neighbor Jennifer Strom, 17, said at the time: “She was the most normal, down-to-earth person you could imagine. Her greatest joy was baking chocolate chip cookies with her mother and watching ‘Grease.'” Chrissy’s close friend Melissa Bucci added, “If you have anything negative to say about Kristen, it’s because you don’t know her.”

Rumors of an eating disorder were also spread. However, this too was disputed by those who knew her best, with her circle insisting that she was comfortable with her body and had a healthy relationship with food.

As for my future plans, I had no interest in modeling long term. “She wanted to be a housewife,” friends tell PEOPLE.

Final findings

Police ultimately ruled out any wrongdoing after a July 3 autopsy report (which found the bruises were caused by Chrissy’s fall) said there was “no evidence of natural illness or serious injury.”

“(Kristen) was not a sick person,” said her doctor, Dr. William Bruno.

News reports then focused on Primatene, a drug containing an adrenaline-like substance that stimulates the heart as well as the lungs. According to manufacturer Whitehall Robins Healthcare (which tested inhalers from the same batch as Chrissy’s and found no contaminants), Primatene has been suspected as a contributing factor to a death in only three cases since the 1970s, company spokeswoman Carol Dornbusch told PEOPLE.

Further tests revealed that Chrissy’s death was due to a rare, undiagnosed heart disease called arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD).

ARVD is a rare genetic disorder that affects the heart by replacing damaged heart muscle in the right ventricle with fatty and fibrous tissue, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Its ventricles stretch, become thinner, and contract poorly. As a result, the heart is unable to pump blood properly. This can make it difficult to breathe and may cause you to faint or have a racing heart.

It affects 1 in 2,000 to 1 in 5,000 people and is often undetected. It can also be run within the family, but this is not always the case. This condition causes some young athletes to suddenly go into cardiac arrest.

Nearly 20 years after Chrissy’s death, Niki reflected on the profound impact of losing her sister in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

“The greatest tragedy and loss in my life was losing my sister,” she said in 2014. “We were very close. We worked together. We did everything together. I miss my sister very much.”