Chyna, porn star turned female wrestling pioneer, found dead aged 45

A WWE star who became one of the most popular female wrestlers in history has been found dead at the age of 45. Chyna, whose real name was Joan Marie Laurer, was found dead in Redondo Beach, southern California, on Wednesday. Police said they were called by a friend who had become concerned at not hearing from her for several days. Chyna’s manager Anthony Anzaldo told NBC she had been “found lying peacefully” on her bed. TMZ quoted anonymous sources as saying police were investigating a possible drug overdose, adding that prescription bottles - but no illegal drugs - were found at the home.

The exact nature and cause of the death, as well as the general time of death is under investigation by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s department.

Sergeant Shawn Freeman

According to Chyna’s website, she turned to fitness to escape a difficult childhood and rose to be considered a female “pioneer” in the male-dominated sport of wrestling. She billed herself as the “Ninth Wonder of the World” - her wrestling predecessor Andre the Giant had already called himself the eighth. The peak of her fame was in the late 1990s when she became the first woman to compete in the Royal Rumble. After leaving wrestling in 2001, she appeared in Playboy Magazine and on several reality television shows, including The Surreal Life in 2005. She made six adult films between 2004 and 2013, including Avengers XXX: A Porn Parody, before heading to Japan to teach English for a while. Throughout her career she struggled with addiction and in 2008 she appeared on Celebrity Rehab with Dr Drew.

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