Joanie Laurer, better known all over the world as "Chyna," has died at the age of 45. The former pro wrestler, who was associated with WWE in the mid-1990s, was found dead on Wednesday afternoon in her Redondo Beach home in California.
While there has been no official confirmation on the cause of her death, it is being reported that the former bodybuilder and adult actress succumbed to a possible drug overdose. Anthony Anzaldo, Laurer's manager, and the apartment building manager reportedly dialled the police at around 3:25 p.m after they heard about the incident.
"The Redondo Beach Police received a 911 call from a friend of the apartment unit resident that the female inside was not breathing," the Los Angeles Times quoted the police department as saying. "The friend told Redondo Beach Police that the female had not answered her phone in a few days, and went to the location to check on her welfare."
Chyna has been referred to as one of the legends of the WWE "Attitude Era" as well as one of the fiercest female pro wrestlers. She made a name for herself after being the first woman to enter the Royal Rumble. She also qualified for the King of the Ring tournament, and became the first woman pro wrestler to win the WWE Intercontinental championship.
She was a part of the iconic D-Generation X stable in the WWE, which included superstars like Shawn Michaels, Triple H, X-Pac and the New Age Outlaws. Chyna was also known for her subsequent feuds with Triple H, the Rock and the big red monster Kane.
She left the WWE in 2001 and entered the world of pornography and mainstream films, before making a cameo as a pro wrestler again with the TNA in 2011.
Twitter has been abuzz since the news came in and #RIPChyna has become one of the top worldwide trends in the social media platform.
