Former WWE star Joanie “Chyna” Laurer passes away

[TKO18]

Former WWE star Joanie “Chyna” Laurer has passed away according to an official statement issued by her management late Wednesday evening.

It is with deep sadness to inform you today that we lost a true icon, a real life superhero. Joanie Laurer aka Chyna, the 9th wonder of the world has passed away. She will live forever in the memories of her millions of fans and all of us that loved her.

Felix
Team Chyna
TheRealChyna.com


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Update (1:57 a.m. ET): TMZ is now reporting that Chyna was found dead in her home in Redondo Beach, California by a friend who went to check on her and found her “unresponsive in the bedroom of her home.” Police were called around 7:30 p.m. local time. Laurer’s death is being investigated as a possible overdose as prescription bottles were found in her home. No signs of foul play were found.

Laurer, a former WWE Intercontinental and Women’s Champion, was discovered dead at her home according to TMZ. No other details are known at this time.


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WWE issued the following statement early Thursday morning regarding the passing of Joanie “Chyna” Laurer late Wednesday evening.

    “WWE is saddened to learn of reports that Joanie Laurer, best known for competing in WWE as Chyna, has passed away. A physically striking and wildly talented performer, Chyna was a true sports-entertainment pioneer. Not only did the Superstar dubbed “The Ninth Wonder of the World” help found the groundbreaking faction D-Generation X, but she also holds the distinction of being the first and only female to win the Intercontinental Championship.”


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WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon also issued the following tweet.

Stephanie McMahon
✔
‎@StephMcMahon

I just heard the tragic news that @ChynaJoanLaurer has passed. She was truly a pioneer in our industry, and she will be missed. #RIPChyna
1:24 AM - 21 Apr 2016


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WWE COO Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who is currently on WWE’s current European tour, issued the following tweet on Thursday morning regarding the passing of Joanie “Chyna” Laurer:

Triple H
✔
‎@TripleH

Someone who wasn't afraid to blaze her own trail & create a path for those who would follow. A pioneer whose star shined bright. #RIPChyna
8:41 AM - 21 Apr 2016




edit:

– TMZ reports that police are investigating Chyna’s death as a possible overdose, mainly because of her history with drugs. Prescription bottles were found in her home but there were no illegal drugs and no signs of foul play.

As noted, Chyna was found in her Redondo Beach, California home on Wednesday at the age of 45. She was found in bed by a friend who checked on her after Chyna went several days without answering her phone. The friend found her unresponsive and called 911.

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There are no signs Chyna intended to die, based on what police found inside her apartment. She’d been deceased for at least a day when her body was found at her home in Redondo Beach, California.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ.com there was no suicide note left in her home. They were also told it appears she had passed away a “day or two” prior to Wednesday evening when a friend found her body. The last known contact she had with anyone occurred on Sunday evening.

There were no illegal drugs, but officers did find legal prescription bottles. Sources close the situation described the number of bottles as three or four, but “nothing out of the ordinary.” Also, the bottles were not emptied.

Several neighbors told investigators they suspected “overdose” as the cause of death since she’d seemed “under the influence” lately.

[TheWarzone1]

So many people dying the last few weeks

[TKO18]

yeah, I know 

[TKO18]

Anthony Anzaldo, the manager of the late Joanie “Chyna” Laurer, revealed in an interview with E! News this week that the former WWE star had been prescribed drugs prior to her sudden death. The prescription drugs, which were noted as being prescribed legally by a doctor and pharmacists, were for sleeping and anxiety issues.

Anzaldo described Chyna as being very “emotional” the last few months while she was shooting footage for a new documentary about her life. Documentary filmmaker Erick Angra told The Daily Mail that he didn’t believe Chyna was suicidal, but was aware she was using “more of her prescriptions than she should have been or mixing them up.”

[TheWarzone1]

Plans being made to donate Chyna's brain to science

The manager for Chyna says the wheels are in motion to have the late WWE superstar's brain donated to science, the New York Daily News reported on Friday.

The hope is her brain will be turned over to Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic pathologist who was the focus of the movie "Concussion."

"We want to donate her brain. We want to know what made Chyna tick," manager Anthony Anzaldo said days after she was found dead at the age of 45 in her apartment in Redondo Beach, California.

According to Anzaldo, lawyers had sought him out regarding a brain injury lawsuit against WWE.

"We're not interested in the lawsuit at all," Anzaldo said. "We're just looking for (the researchers) to give us everything they can get."

    "When she died, they called me again and asked, 'Can we have her brain? My hope is that we can do it. I'm in the process of getting the permission to speak on behalf of family to tell the coroner it's okay to release it.

"I've been told (Dr. Omalu) is calling the medical examiner to let them know the plan, so they'll be cautious with her brain," Anzaldo said.

[TKO18]

just read that. there's a whole article on the ny daily news site about that as well as the possibility of releasing a documentary on her life that was being recorded

[TheWarzone1]

Yeah i read they were working on a documentary. Im sure wwe will try to rush one of their own out before it.

[TKO18]

True. Not sure how much WWE wants to throw out there seeing as they didnt want much if anything to do with her after her adult stuff.
That will probably end up keeping her out of the hall of fame for a bit as well. will have to see though

[TheWarzone1]

True. Guess we'll see what happens.

[TKO18]

– There are plans to honor former WWE Intercontinental Champion Chyna on tonight’s RAW in Hartford, CT, apparently in the form of a tribute video, according to PWInsider.

On a related note, Chyna’s friend and manager Anthony Anzaldo, the man who discovered her body last Wednesday, told TMZ Sports that he recently struck a deal with producers of the TV show “Intervention” to get her help but she passed before production could begin.

Anthony said the plan was to get some of Chyna’s closest WWE friends, including Steve Austin and Mick Foley, to participate in the intervention. Some of her other friends had become concerned about her prescription drug use in recent weeks as she was taken Ambien and Valium, possibly over-medicating herself. Anthony said:

“An interventionalist was already lined up as was a facility that was going to take her for 90 days.”