Redondo Beach Police said they found Laurer dead in her apartment on Wednesday, after receiving a 911 call from her friend reporting that she wasn’t breathing.
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“Officers arrived on scene and discovered a deceased female inside the location”, Redondo Beach police Sgt. Shawn Freeman said in a news release Thursday.
Police are now investigating whether a drug overdose caused Chyna’s death. The report says neighbors told investigators that she’d seemed “under the influence” lately. TMZ Sports reported that Chyna went on to pose for Hugh Hefner’s Playboy before transitioning to reality TV. Over the years, she struggled with substance abuse and her attempt to try and clean up her life was featured on Celebrity Rehab in 2008.
The case has been referred to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office to determine the nature, cause and timing of death.
Chyna’s manager, Anthony Anzaldo has confirmed the former superstar’s death and states that Chyna was “found lying peacefully” on her bed Wednesday afternoon. She was the first woman to compete in the Royal Rumble as well as the King of the Ring tournament, even winning the Intercontinental Championship on two separate occasions. She left the WWE in 2001 after her breakup with Triple H. Sadly for her and those who loved her news of her passing has been over shadowed by the death of another entertainer, Prince. In recent years, she ventured to Japan to teach English.
Just days before she was found dead, Chyna posted a rambling video on her YouTube page.
“She completely, 100% transcended the business”, Triple H, now WWE’s executive vice president, told Stone Cold Steve Austin on a live podcast on the WWE Network previous year.
Messages of mourning and sadness have already begun pouring out from the WWE community across social media, echoing the sentiment that not only will Chyna be greatly missed, but also that her incredible impact on professional wrestling will never be forgotten. She narrates as she makes and drinks a breakfast smoothie, trailing off and occasionally singing into the camera.
It is due to Chyna’s latter career choices that WWE has stated that she will never be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
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Though grisly, the information may bring comfort to fans who were concerned that Chyna was so distraught she chose to take her own life.
