Chyna's Real Name: Joanie Laurer

Quick answer: The performer was known professionally as Chyna. WWE and People independently give the name Joanie Laurer. The Associated Press independently gives the name Joan Marie Laurer. The Associated Press and People independently place the birth in Rochester, New York, and report that she was found dead April 20, 2016, in Redondo Beach.

Real name and early life

Independent publishers identify her under the professional name Chyna and give the name Joanie Laurer. The Associated Press independently gives the name Joan Marie Laurer, says she was a native of Rochester, New York, and records a 1992 graduation from the University of Tampa with a degree in Spanish Literature. People independently places the birth in Rochester, New York, and also records that 1992 graduation. April 21, 2016, reports described her as 46 (Associated Press) or 45 (People).

Career highlights

WWE's official memorial says Joanie Laurer, best known for competing in WWE as Chyna, was dubbed "The Ninth Wonder of the World," was a founding member of D-Generation X, was the first woman to enter the Royal Rumble Match, and was the first and only woman to win the Intercontinental Championship. People independently records a 1997 WWF debut billed as "the Ninth Wonder of the World," and says she was the first woman to enter the Royal Rumble and the first female Intercontinental Champion. The Associated Press independently says the WWE, then the World Wrestling Federation, hired Chyna in 1997 as a bodyguard for Triple H, that she was a member of D-Generation X, and "at one point was the women's champion." It also records that she left the WWE in 2001, wrote the 2001 autobiography If They Only Knew, and later appeared in 3rd Rock From the Sun and The Surreal Life.

Death

The Associated Press, in an April 21, 2016, report, says police found her dead on Wednesday in her Redondo Beach apartment, and that investigators had not immediately released a cause of death but noted there were no indications of foul play. The same report says police initially reported a possible overdose, according to Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter. People independently quoted Winter as saying she "died of either natural causes or an accidental overdose." WWE published a memorial on April 21, 2016.

Name notes for searchers

People looking up Chyna, Joanie Laurer, or Joan Marie Laurer are looking for the same performer Search traffic often uses the professional name Chyna.