Joanie "Chyna" Laurer died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, according to her manager.
According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, Laurer, 46, a Rochester native, died from a combination of the sleeping pill Ambien and a form of the tranquilizer Valium. Her body was found in her Redondo Beach, California, apartment on April 20.
Her manager, Anthony Anzaldo, said Wednesday that Laurer had been legally prescribed the pills, but she wasn't using them properly. He said the pro wrestling legend's death was an accidental overdose, not a suicide.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Anzaldo also said that Laurer's brain will be examined by Dr. Bennet Omalu, the man who inspired the Will Smith movie Concussion. Omalu will test Laura's brain for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The Los Angeles County coroner's officer has not yet released a cause of death, saying it could take months before toxicology results will be finalized.
The Los Angeles County coroner’s office has deferred a ruling in the cause of death of the World Wrestling Entertainment star, saying it could take months before toxicology test results can determine whether she died of an overdose.Laurer was born in Rochester in December 1969. She went to school in Penfield and Pittsford and then in the city at the former Monroe High School.
Laurer was a true pioneer in the world of professional wrestling. She became the first woman to compete in the then-WWF Royal Rumble and also held the Interncontinental Championship in 1999 and 2000.
