A Former Wrestling Star Is Dead at 39

Ashley Massaro said she'd suffering from depression, other injuries from WWE
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted May 17, 2019 1:50 PM CDT

She was a model who appeared on the cover of Playboy, as a contestant on Survivor, and as a contender in the ring for WWE. Ashley Massaro had done much in her 39 years, but the chance to do more was cut short early Thursday, when she was pronounced dead at a hospital on Long Island, reports the New York Daily News. Officials tell TMZ Massaro was brought to the hospital from her Smithtown home; no cause of death has been revealed, but it's said to be classified as "non-criminal."

The Blast notes Massaro, who was the winner of the WWE's Raw Diva Search in 2005 and performed with the WWE for three years, was part of a class-action suit against the organization, with dozens of wrestlers alleging it didn't do enough to protect them from repeated head trauma. Massaro wrote in a 2017 affidavit she suffered from depression, migraines, and other injuries she said came about from her work in the WWE. "We are saddened to learn of the tragic death of former WWE Superstar Ashley Massaro," the WWE posted on its website, calling her "beloved" by fans and colleagues alike. Meanwhile, per the Blast, Massaro's only daughter, Alexa, wrote on social media after her mother's death: "I love you Mommy I want to wake up in your arms more than anything." (More WWE stories.)

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