Former WWE superstar Ashley Massaro has died, TMZ Sports reports.
According to the outlet, the 39-year-old passed away on Thursday morning at a hospital near her home in Suffolk County, New York. While the cause of death wasn’t revealed, it is being categorized as “non-criminal,” according to the outlet.
Massaro is well-known for winning the WWE’s 2005 Raw Diva Search, where she was awarded a $250,000 one-year contract. She then became a valet for WWE tag team champions Paul London and Brian Kendrick.
Her most notable matches were a WWE Women’s Championship against Melina Perez at Wrestlemania 23 in 2007, and a Playboy BunnyMania LumberJill match at Wrestlemania 24 in 2008.
Massaro also appeared on 2007’s Survivor: China, though was voted off the show during the season’s second episode. That same year, she was on the cover of Playboy.
She parted ways with the WWE in 2008, later making a return in 2017 with a smaller pro wrestling company.
“We are saddened to learn of the tragic death of former WWE Superstar Ashley Massaro,” the WWE said in a statement. “She performed in WWE from 2005-2008 and was beloved by her fellow Superstars and fans around the world. WWE offers its condolences to Ashley’s family and friends.”
Read some reactions to her death from celebrities and those in the wrestling community below.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
