Former WWE superstar Chyna, whose real name was Joanie Laurer, has died. She was 45 years old.
The following message was posted to her Twitter account shortly after midnight ET.
#RipChyna 😢😢😢 all of us on team Chyna love you and will love you forever babe.
Felix pic.twitter.com/jOfbHUAI2j
— Chyna (@ChynaJoanLaurer) April 21, 2016
Redondo Beach, Calif., police released a statement early Thursday morning saying officers responded to a 911 call from a friend who discovered Laurer. According to the statement, the friend went to check on her after Laurer didn’t answer her phone for a few days.
Officers arrived on the scene to find Laurer, and the statement also indicated foul play wasn’t suspected. The death is still under investigation, and Redondo Beach Police are still determining “if the death was natural or accidental.”
Laurer’s post-wrestling struggles had been well-documented, as she even appeared on the reality show “Celebrity Rehab” in 2008. TMZ reported Thursday that officials are investigating the death as a possible overdose.
WWE published a statement Thursday mourning Laurer’s death, and WWE chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon tweeted the following.
I just heard the tragic news that @ChynaJoanLaurer has passed. She was truly a pioneer in our industry, and she will be missed. #RIPChyna
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) April 21, 2016
Laurer is one of the most decorated women in WWE history. Nicknamed “The Ninth Wonder of the World,” Laurer was the first woman to participate in the Royal Rumble and was the first female winner of the Intercontinental Championship.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@WWE
