Chyna aka Joan Marie Laurer found dead aged 45
By Sky News
Last Updated: 21/04/16 10:46am
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.
In a statement, Sergeant Shawn Freeman said: "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."
Chyna's manager Anthony Anzaldo told NBC she had been "found lying peacefully" on her bed.
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.
