MIAMI BEACH — Chyna, the raven-haired hottie who became one of the first female recurring characters in WWE wrestling before her successful stint as a porn star, was found dead in her California apartment overnight.
News reports from the left coast claim Chyna, 45, whose real name was Joanie Laurer, was discovered lifeless in her Rodondo Beach pad after failing to contact friends for several days.
Authorities suspect she died of a drug overdose, partly because Chyna had a history of drug and alcohol abuse.
In 2012, for example, she was a star attraction at the Exxxotica Expo porn convention at the Miami Beach Convention Center when she collapsed and passed out twice only hours after the four-day event started.
She was about to perform a strip show but had to be carried to an ambulance and became belligerent and refused to be taken to the hospital. She passed out a second time and agreed to get checked at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
— Click here for more photos of Chyna
In an exclusive video interview with Gossip Extra on the following day (see below), a bloated and out-of-shape Chyna, who looked 10 years older, told us she was exhausted after two back-to-back porn films and appearances nationwide, a trip to Mexico, improper diet and partying.
— Click here, at your own risk, for the photo gallery of Exxxotica Expo 2012
There were reports at the time that Chyna was behaving strangely at the Catalina Hotel, where she stayed.
A source told us she then stripped naked and jumped in the pool with another porn star during a party early Friday, and appeared to be totally out of it.
Here is what she told us the following day:
https://youtu.be/oOv_BLgh-Sg
