How Did Chyna Die? WWE Star’s Cause of Death Revealed
Contents
The cause of death for former WWE star Chyna has been revealed.
Introduction
Chyna, whose real name was Joanie Laurer, was found dead in her Redondo Beach, California, apartment on Wednesday, TMZ first reported. She was 45.
The Los Angeles County coroner’s office confirmed her death to E! News Thursday morning, revealing that a manager went to check on Laurer after she hadn’t been heard from for days.
Chyna’s Career
Chyna’s cause of death was revealed to be a result of mixing alcohol and prescription drugs, as reported by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. The professional wrestler, whose real name was Joanie Laurer, died at the age of 45. Chyna’s death was first reported by her manager Anthony Anzaldo on Wednesday, April 20.
Professional wrestling
Chyna (born Joan Marie Laurer; December 27, 1969 – April 20, 2016) was an American professional wrestler, glamour model, pornographic film actress, and bodybuilder. She was signed to WWE under the ring name Chyna and was billed as “The Ninth Wonder of the World”
After leaving WWE in 2001, Laurer began working in the adult film industry, appearing in more than a dozen pornographic films over the next four years. She returned to WWE in November 2002 for a brief period but was released from her contract three months later. In 2005, Laurer taught English in Japan; she also spent time working as a hostess at bars and strip clubs.
Laurer died on April 20, 2016, at her home in Redondo Beach, California. The coroner’s report revealed that she died from “the combined effects of alcohol, prescription drugs, and an underlying epilepsy disorder”.
Pornographic films
In addition to her wrestling career, Chyna also worked in the pornographic film industry. In 2000, she appeared in two adult films – ‘Backdoor to Chyna’ and ‘She Hulk’. In the former, she appeared alongside fellow wrestler and then-boyfriend Sean Waltman, better known by his ring name X-Pac.
Her work in the adult film industry led to criticism from WWE. As a result, she was fired from the company in 2001. Despite this, she continued to make appearances for other professional wrestling companies such as New Japan Pro Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
In 2011, Chyna returned to WWE in a non-physical role. She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016, becoming the first woman to be inducted into the hall as an individual competitor.
Chyna’s Death
The world was shocked when WWE star Chyna passed away on April 20, 2016. She was only 46 years old. The cause of death was originally unknown, but now the coroner has revealed that she died of an accidental overdose of a prescribed medication.
Initial reports
Chyna’s manager, Anthony Anzaldo, revealed to ABC News that the cause of death was accidental and possibly a mix of pills and alcohol.
“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 WWE Women’s Champion passed away at the age of 46,” he said in a statement to ABC News.
Anzaldo told ABC News that Chyna had been taking antibiotics for sinus infection and had refilled her Ambien prescription on Tuesday night. He believes she may have taken “an old bottle from 2015” by mistake.
Coroner’s report
TMZ has obtained the coroner’s report for Chyna, real name Joanie Laurer … which reveals she died from an overdose of pills.
According to the report, obtained by TMZ, Chyna had taken a combination of Valium, Ambien and a muscle relaxer … as well as liquor. We’re told all of the drugs were found in her system.
Chyna’s cause of death is listed as “mixed drug intoxication” and is classified as accidental.
Reaction to Chyna’s Death
Chyna, one of the most successful and controversial WWE Superstars, has died at the age of 46. The cause of death has not yet been revealed, but it is suspected to be a drug overdose. Chyna’s death has shocked the WWE community and fans all over the world.
WWE
Chyna, the groundbreaking WWE star who died this week at the age of 46, reportedly had a slew of drugs in her system when she passed away, according to a new report.
TMZ, citing law enforcement sources, said Friday that police found an assortment of pills near Chyna’s bed after she was found dead in her Redondo Beach, Calif., apartment Wednesday. The outlet reported that officials believe the drugs may have played a role in her death, although an official cause has not yet been determined.
Chyna’s manager Anthony Anzaldo told the Los Angeles Times Thursday that he believes she died of an accidental overdose after she cut back on a prescribed Ambien medication and started self-medicating with alcohol instead.
Fellow wrestlers
Many of her fellow wrestlers have spoken out about her death. Mick Foley, a former WWE wrestler, took to Twitter to write:
“Devastated to hear of the passing of the legendary Chyna. She was truly a pioneer in our business, and a one of a kind performer.”
Stephanie McMahon, chief brand officer of WWE, also took to Twitter to share her condolences.
“I just heard the tragic news that @ChynaJoanLaurer has passed,” Stephanie wrote. “She was truly a pioneer in our industry, and she will be missed.”
fans
The WWE community is mourning the death of one of its own.
Chyna, whose real name was Joanie Laurer, died at the age of 46, her manager Anthony Anzaldo confirmed to ABC News. Anzaldo said she was found unresponsive in her Redondo Beach, California, home on Wednesday and that pill bottles were found near her bed.
The cause of death has not been revealed, but Anzaldo said he believes it was an accidental overdose.
“She was still taking some pills and we think she overdosed on those,” he said. “We don’t know which ones yet or how many.”
Anzaldo said Chyna had been struggling with addiction for years and had been sober for three months before relapsing last week. He said she was “doing great” in her recovery and that her death came as a “total shock.”
Fans of the former WWE star took to social media to share their condolences.
Conclusion
As of right now, the official cause of death for Chyna has not been revealed. However, it has been speculated that she may have died from a drug overdose.
