Former wrestler Chyna dies at 45
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WWE wrestler Joanie Laurer, better known as Chyna, was found dead at her home in Redondo Beach, California, on Wednesday. She was 45.
Her manager, Anthony Anzaldo, told the Los Angeles Times Laurer was discovered in the afternoon, and the cause of death is not yet known. Local police say they have opened an investigation, but there were no signs of foul play. In a statement posted on Laurer's Twitter account, her management team called her a "true icon, a real life superhero," and said she "will live forever in the memories of her millions of fans and all of us that loved her."
After a successful wrestling career in the 1990s, Laurer appeared on the reality show The Surreal Life in 2005, released six pornographic films from 2004 to 2013, and went to Japan to teach English, TMZ reports.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
