Former WWE superstar Chyna died at the age of 45, her manager announced on Twitter early Thursday. She was found dead in her home located in Redondo Beach, Calif., on Wednesday afternoon, as the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner told FOX411.
The immediate cause of Joan Marie Laurer’s death remains unclear. Assistant Chief Ed Winter told Fox that she was last seen on Sunday evening and authorities don’t know exactly when she died.
“We don’t have a timeline yet to figure out was it Sunday night or Monday night or [at another point]”, Winter said.
Chyna had been taking drugs for sleep deprivation and anxiety, her manager told Pro Wrestling Sheet. The coroner’s office has not ruled out anything but it’s investigating if the death of the former WWM superstar could have actually been an accidental overdose.
An autopsy is expected to be done in the coming days and the final results of the investigation could “take up to several months”, according to the coroner’s office.
Laurer posted a strange video on her YouTube channel on Sunday. She appeared wearing feathers with smudged makeup and drinking water and juice. During the 13-minute video, the star took the camera around her place and rambled to fans after making a smoothie.
A native of Rochester, New York, she was not only known for performing under the name of Chyna during her entire career with WWE –then known as WWF-, but also for starting in adult films and for being a renowned body builder. She is considered as a woman who proved strong can also mean sexy.
Chyna became the first woman to take part in the WWF’s Royal Rumble event in 1999. She then became the first woman to participate in the King of the Ring tournament that same year and shared a championship belt.
After stops at Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling, she left her wrestling career in 2011 after having started in six adult films. She also appeared on four seasons of “My Fair Brady”, “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” and “The Surreal Life”.
Substance abuse
Laurer’s former boyfriend and wrestler Sean Waltman told the Calgary Sun in 2005 that Chyna was struggling with alcohol and drug-related issues. When she appeared on “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” in 2008, she alleged that she wasn’t an addict.
That same year after her birthday party she was taken to the hospital because she was found passed out with several cuts in her arms. In 2010, Chyna was hospitalized after an overdose of painkillers.
“She will live forever in the memories of her millions of fans and all of us that loved her,” a statement reads on her Twitter profile.
Source: Fox News