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Police believe that a 20-year-old woman committed suicide by jumping out of her Water Street apartment's balcony around 2:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon. The woman was identified as Kazhakstan model Ruslana Korshunova.
Newsday reported, "It appeared she fell from the balcony of her ninth-floor apartment, police said, where a large hole was visible in construction netting hanging on the front of the 12-story building." A Con Ed worker, who had been talking to a cop at the time, told the Post, "I heard what sounded like a gunshot or a bomb or an explosion...I looked down the street, and I say to the cop, 'Did that person just get hit by a car?'"
Another person told the Daily News, "All I saw was something moving out of the corner of my eye, and then boom. It sounded like a bass drum when she hit the ground." No one on Water Street was hurt.
The building's doorman Mahmoud Nakeeb described Korshunova, who had modeled for DKNY, Marc Jacobs, Jill Stuart, Vera Wang, Lela Rose, and others, as "sweet" and "always smiling." He added that she moved in two months ago. A friend spoke to the Post and said the model had just returned from a job in Paris, "The world lost a great person...There were no signs. That's what's driving me crazy. I don't see one reason why she would do that."
The ME's office will determine a cause of death; per Newsday, a police source said there were no signs of a struggle and it's "unclear if anyone else was in the apartment at the time of the fall or if a suicide note was found." According to British Vogue, Korshunova was discovered in 2003, when a booker was reading an in-flight magazine feature about her hometown, "I saw her by chance and she looked like something out of a fairytale!"
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there were no signs? Whos really happy pimping there looks for money? Modeling is such a fake profession, and even sadder are the other girls that have killed themselves because they didnt look like a model. More model citizens of earth please less superficaial fluff.
Suicides happens all the time and never gets reported by the press. Why is she any different than the other sucides that go on everyday. Because shes a model??? Bah! I do feel sorry for her friends and family bout this lost but I hate it when the press reports senseless suicides.
@Reflect
if you can't spell the word, don't use it.
Doorman stated she came home between 4-5AM saturday morning - jumped at 2:30PM. MDMA, ecstasy - club drug that has a history of making people hallucinate and jump from buildings [remember the NYU student suicides from the library?]--just saying. See where she partied Saturday morning. Sad.
#6
Ecstacy would have worn off by then, dummy. And millions have taken psychedelics and not committed suicide.
Maybe her reading misinformed, irrelevant comments by you on Gothamist is just as likely.
I suspect there are a lot of model suicides. That's a profession that messes with your head big time.
Anyway, there was some reporting about a "normal" jumper the other day. I forget where, but you see reporting about all kinds of peopl, Understar. Maybe YOU don't notice because they're not models!
@6: There is no study that links MDMA to suicide. The little research that's been conducted actually bears out that opposite, that people who've used MDMA are more likely to come out of a depression. Either way it's anecdotal because our insane drug laws don't even allow people to study certain drugs correctly, so there isn't all that much information either way.
How can you criticize a 20 year old woman from Kazhakstan for taking an opportunity to improve her life and the life of her family. She's from a poor place, and if you win the genetic lottery why wouldn't you take the opportunity to get out of poverty?
It's really remarkable how some people can summon their seemingly limitless hate of people they don't know, even when the current object of their derision has taken their own life. Really.
(sigh)
Someone dies and the callous people just crawl out of the woodwork...
Some sites have commenter meetups, but I'd hate to see what this bunch looks like. Although I doubt any of you would have the courage to be as ugly in public as you are in the safety of anonymity.
I could say that years from now, when you find yourself growing old with no close friends or family, you may wonder why, and realize it's connected to what you contributed to the world, but you probably won't ask yourself that.
You'll just blame black people, or jews, or smokers, and never notice that people are moving away from you on the subway again. And you'll trudge home to your basement apartment and drink yourself to sleep.
And then one day, you'll die, and some overgrown child who thinks they invented sarcasm will make snarky comments about you, and that will be the extent of what you leave behind.
Good luck.
These losers aren't callous. These vicious comments are their form of revenge upon society, their plea for attention that they could never get in real life. They feel that they've been wronged and/or ignored and Gothamist gives them an outlet where their words can actually be seen. They have tried to be class clowns but never could get anyone to laugh. The leader of the pack is sonyactivision, who is so unloved that even his cat takes off for days just to get away from him. Don't ask about any women in his life. On the bright side, it may be a good thing for them to post their hateful screeds here. In years to come, when the newest Son of Sam-type serial killer is arrested and revealed to have a certain user name saved on their browser, we can all say we are not surprised.
Back on topic, it is indeed a shame that a girl with most of a very promising life still ahead of her will not have the opportunity to live it. Most people would give their eyeteeth to have that level of success in their lives. Whether it was drugs, accident or premeditated suicide is fairly irrelevant.
You people are unbelievable, I just worked with this Ruslana on Tuesday, I had met her before, but never spoken to her until then. She really was one of the sweetest people i have met in the business. I am not just saying this after this tragedy, she really was.
She seemed very together and strong, in a quite, confident way. Modeling is tough on some people, because of people, like you, judging us every second of the day. Its just a Job! It does not make you a certain type of person, that can be stereotyped.
If you feel like if you pass an opinion, you should really know your facts. Not just throw around every stupid thought that passes through your F@#Ked up brain. Don't try to speculate what might have happened, when you really know nothing about her.
People have problems and do this everyday, instead of sitting at your computer scanning news stories that have no relevance to you and commenting on them, go out and help someone. Anyone! Use your time more effectively, for good.
Please everyone, if this can happen to Ruslana, it really can happen to anyone. REALLY. Talk to your friends make sure they are ok. Don't let this happen to your loved ones.
Rest In Peace sweetheart, and my condolences to anyone lucky enough to have met Ruslana.
J
Virgil and Spirit, I don't know -- I was beginning to wonder if these commenters have Tourette's Syndrome or something. It's bizarre how ugly and hateful they can be, and sometimes in the most inappropriate contexts. I find it hard to believe they're really like this.
I've asked a few times why we don't adopt a subscription only with universal real identity commenter policy, with credit cards as proof of identity. I'm sure that would cut down on the nastiness. A lot of these horrible comments are like mean kids ringing doorbells and running away on Halloween.
I mean, it would be interesting to see what the comments would look like without all the creepiness. There are days I can't even bear to read them and just skip it, or skip Gothamist entirely just for a break.
virgil: I totally agree with you. I love Gothamist, but often find myself scratching my head over the lack of humanity found in the comments.
While it is interesting that the media continues to focus on reporting on pretty young white girls above all else (how many suicides are there every day in NYC that get no media coverage?) at the end of the day all I can say is that it's tragic this girl took her own life, whether she be a drug user, a smoker (wtf to that random comment???), or whatever.
#6:
i know this has been pointed out already, but you've got no fucking clue what you're talking about. The drug-related suicide (singular, not plural) at NYU was attributed to mushrooms, not ecstasy.
oops, some comments have been removed. i was speaking to KM's comment, which is now #4.
this isn't the first suicide post, there were plenty through the years.
I do find it odd that no one posted the usual comment about how people who commit suicide are selfish etc.
where are those? is it because this was a beautiful model and not a guy who jumped in front of the subway?
lack of humanity??? did you read any of the al sharpton comments?
Nick/20 and Emilydickinso/8,
It was my fault (#6) for the mix-up. I inserted the incorrect post #. So, Gothamist is not removing any comments.
I was indeed referring to #4's inane and uninformed post that perhaps the suicide was linked to Ecstacy.
Of course there is no link between the two, and even if there were, no indication that she ingested it anyway.
I also find it incredible that mushrooms would have precipitated the suicide of the NYU student. They are very calming. Perhaps she had a McDonalds along with the 'shrooms. It is just as likely that crappy burger was the cause.
More people commit suicide from alcohol ingestion than psychedelics, but people are always saying that psychedelics cause people to commit suicide.
Nick S., you're right, Gothamist actually is removing comments. Finally. Mr. sonyactivision got his early morning comment trashed, as it should be, although I wasn't the one who reported it. That's why he tried to be just a little less offensive in his 11:42 post (which nonetheless is as worthless as the first). He absolutely has to have a comment here, even if he's not actually saying anything. Keeps his post count up, you know. I don't think he'll ever really learn his lesson, though. I guess the "report this" links actually do work, although they're too much of a bother for me. There should be a form rather than forcing you to send an email.
i'm with modelfriend on this one.
models conjure up a lot of feelings by people... let's face it, pretty much everyone wants to be and date someone who's physically attractive, and there's no doubt a lot of jealousy and desire of what seems to be an easy life.
Scratch the surface, though, and a lot of these beautiful people are in an industry with the worst humanity has to offer... lecherous rich people who prey upon these young beauties, lure them in with parties, travel, clothes, drugs... seems like an easy and glamorous life to those on the outside looking in, but what kind of damage does it do to these kids, especially when they are removed from family and friends who can keep them grounded?
As for the backlash against the reporting of this... get real. Anytime a young beauty dies, it's going to get a lot more attention, that's just the way things work. Also, absent a note or something, the details released so far don't show the signs normally found in a suicide case, which adds an element of mystery to the story.
also, I think gothamist should change the graphic on this story. "Jumper Down" is a pretty crappy and crass way to label the googlemap image, especially since the "jumper" has been identified. If gothamist wants to pretend they're cops, fine, but use some discretion.
Models live a polarized lifestyle, to say the least. Yes, they have the looks and the means to get ahead seemingly at will... and it's easy to see why so many people resent this.
But they're often incredibly naive and vulnerable people, particularly those who DON'T get every contract they set out to attain--which happens more often than not.
The very nature of their industry is exploitive and cutthroat, and the thin-skinned often literally do not survive. It really isn't as enviable as the media portrays it to be. And when you factor in how many of these girls come from dysfunctional families to start with, it's just a disaster waiting to happen.
For every "supermodel" that gains legitimate fame and fortune and commands whatever salary she desires, there are countless girls--many genuinely more beautiful inside and out--who fall well short of their goals.
How awful. Why do they think she jumped instead of fell, I wonder?
I'm interested to find out what the investgation reveals... Seems plausable she could also have fallen or been pushed.
I've gone through again just now and deleted the most offensive and inappropriate comments.
It goes without saying that we at Gothamist hates trolling, inappropriate, ridiculous comments. That goes double for commenters callous and insensitive enough to speak ill of the dead.
Please use the "report this" function next to each comment-- we look at each report, and we're deleting the worst commenters. There will be better solutions for this soon-- until then we just have to work together to keep this place clean.
Drugs are bad m'kay.
It goes without saying that we at Gothamist hates trolling, inappropriate, ridiculous comments. That goes double for commenters callous and insensitive enough to speak ill of the dead.
you should also change the "Jumper Down" graphic, which certainly strikes me as callous and insensitive.
"Jumper down" is a NYPD expression, semi-official.
"Jumper up", someone who wished to jump was rescued.
I wonder if this sad death was a falling accident?
Does anyone remember the new groom
on 59th street that jumped on the bed
where his wife was lying and
as the mattress was so hard he went right out the hotel window?
Sad.
Just because "jumper down" is used by police as shorthand to describe a situation does not mean it is not a callous description for a site like gothamist to use in a graphic after the woman has been identified. i don't think anyone on gothamist is a cop, and while they might think it's cool to use police jargon, in this case I don't think it was.
Condolences to Ruslana's family & friends.. I lost a good friend at age 15-- she also jumped from a Manhattan building. I have spent many years wondering why, how could a person be so unhappy and yet I saw no signs? Well, it's over 20 years later and I still don't have any answers but I feel more at peace with the fact that she is probably in a better place and that this world was not meant for such a beautiful person as she was.
It's a sad story, one way or the other. And I agree--a lot of the posts around here are ludicrously cranky and cynical.
Kazakhstan greatest country in the world.
All other countries are run by little girls.
Kazakhstan number one exporter of potassium.
Other countries have inferior potassium.
Kazakhstan home of Tinshein swimming pool.
It’s length thirty meter and width six meter.
Filtration system a marvel to behold.
It remove 80 percent of human solid waste.
Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan you very nice place.
From Plains of Tarashek to Northern fence of Jewtown.
Kazakhstan friend of all except Uzbekistan.
They very nosey people with bone in their brain.
Kazakhstan industry best in world.
We invented toffee and trouser belt.
Kazakhstan’s prostitutes cleanest in the region.
Except of course for Turkmenistan’s.
"Jumper down" is used by EMT as well, not just the police department as a description.
What surprises me in this 'homicide" investigation
is how quickly the NYPD ruled this a Suicide
because witnesses saw her jump?
The Construction netting had a hole in it( that
is designed to hold workers in case of falling
accidents) right outside her window.
Could there have been even a little wait to see
whether that hole in the netting was cut before
her hmmmmmmm?"suicide".
Most of her NYC friends said she was not depressed
this alone would make me wish to investigate her
last 48 hours a little more.