WWE Superstar Chyna Dies At 45
SACRAMENTO (CBS13/AP) — WWE superstar Chyna has passed away, her management said on Wednesday.
A statement says Joanie Lauer, stage name Chyna, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 45. The cause of death is unknown.
Redondo Beach Police say they received a 911 call from a friend of Lauer who went over to check on her. The friend said Lauer hadn't responded to phone calls in recent days.
Police declared her dead at the scene.
She was billed as the Ninth Wonder of the World—Andre the Giant called himself the eighth—and was a trailblazer for women in professional wrestling in her time with what was then called the World Wrestling Federation from 1997 to 2001.
According to CBS Los Angeles, her manager says she died at her Redondo Beach home, and foul play is not suspected.
Laurer was a native of Rochester, New York and graduated from the University of Tampa in Florida before taking up wrestling.
She joins a long list of WWE professional wrestlers who have died relatively young, including Rick Rude, Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig, the Ultimate Warrior and Owen Hart.
After leaving the WWE in 2001, Laurer posed for Playboy and appeared in six adult films and on reality TV, including the shows "The Surreal Life" and "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew." She won two Adult Video News awards.
