The many faces of WWE legend Chyna before her tragic death at 46
Chyna was wrestling industry pioneer
Joan Marie Laurer, who also went by the name Chyna, was a professional wrestler and was one of the most controversial figures in the history of WWE. Born in 1969 in New York, Chyna had a difficult childhood. Beginning her wrestling career in 1995, she tried her luck in different professions, including bodybuilding, acting, modelling, and even the adult entertainment industry. However, at the age of 46, she was found dead in her home in California.
1996: Chyna joins WWE and D-Generation X
Chyna got her entry into WWF (now WWE) as a bodyguard in 1996. After seeing a professional wrestling show, Triple H and Shawn Michaels were impressed with her. In February 1997, Chyna made her WWE debut. While in D-Generation X, the wrestler was put in a romantic storyline with the rival stable's Mark Henry. Shortly after signing with WWE in 1997, Laurer's clothing style evolved from casual pullovers and sweatpants to luxurious minks and designer jeans.
1999: Chyna's WWE success
In 1999, she became the first woman to enter the Royal Rumble, and in June 1999, she qualified for the King of the Ring Tournament. She was the number one competitor of the WWF (now WWE) Championship. Her WWE journey paved a new path for women's wrestling. She is the only woman to win two Intercontinental championships. In 1999, Laurer went on a hiatus from WWE, first to undergo breast-enhancement surgery, and subsequently for a nose job and jaw reconstruction.
2000: Chyna starts her acting career
WWE’s head of talent, estimated that Laurer’s total earnings in 2000 surpassed $1 million. The same year, she also appeared in the sitcom '3rd Rock from the Sun'. She went on to appear in movies and reality shows since then. Her 2001 autobiography 'If They Only Knew' was a New York Times bestseller. She appeared in the 2003 edition of the game show 'Hollywood Squares.' Chyna ended her affair with Paul Levesque in 2000 (Triple H), the couple had been together for three years and her wrestling career ended soon after.
2004: Chyna leaves WWE
(Photo by J. Kempin/FilmMagic)
Following her departure from the WWE, Laurer's public wrestling career never reached the same heights of her heyday. Chyna began accompanying professional wrestler Sean Waltman. In 2005, the wrestler entered the celebrity reality show 'The Surreal Life'. In January 2005, years after her final match with the WWE, Waltman discovered she’d checked into a hotel under an alias and attempted to “drink and drug herself to death."
2011: Chyna's addiction problems spiral out of control
By the time her tenure was over, the legacy of Chyna had been muddied. The titan of wrestling had an addiction problem which saw her hospitalized in 2008 with cuts on her arms; in 2010 she overdosed on sleeping pills. In 2013 went to Japan briefly to become a teacher. In 2015, she returned to America and she was glad to be away from media scrutiny, Vice reported.
2016: Chyna dies of drug overdose
On April 20, 2016, Chyna, 46, was found dead in her California home. Her manager, Anthony Anzald, discovered her body after getting concerned about the wrestler's absence from social media. As per the autopsy report, Chyna died on April 17. The cause of death was alcohol and drug overdose. In a video posted three days before her death, she had rambled about a health food delivery business she had hoped to start. A tragic end to a WWE legend.