Joanie Laurer — Biography
Joan Marie Laurer, known professionally as Chyna, was born on December 27, 1969, in Rochester, New York. She became an accomplished professional wrestler, bodybuilder, glamour model, writer, and actress who earned significant recognition in the World Wrestling Federation starting in 1997, where she was marketed as the "Ninth Wonder of the World." Following her departure from the WWF in 2001, she took on wrestling assignments with various organizations before transitioning into adult film work and nude modeling throughout the 2000s. She posed for Playboy on two occasions and performed in five adult films produced by Vivid Entertainment, though she announced her retirement from that industry in early 2014.
Recognized as a sex symbol, Laurer influenced the wrestling world by paving the way for female performers and challenging conventional gender divisions in the sport. She earned her degree from the University of Tampa in 1992 with a focus on Spanish Literature and studied French and German during her college years, becoming conversant in both languages. Laurer pursued fitness competitions regularly after graduation.
Her high-profile relationship with fellow wrestler Sean Waltman produced a commercially released intimate recording in 2004 titled 1 Night in China, which received a 2006 AVN Award for Best-Selling Title. She subsequently appeared in five additional adult films, with one earning AVN recognition in 2012 as Best Celebrity Sex Tape. In 2019, she achieved posthumous induction into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of D-Generation X, becoming the first female performer honored as part of a team membership. Laurer was discovered deceased on April 20, 2016, in her Redondo Beach, California residence at age 46. Her manager Anthony Anzaldo grew alarmed after observing an extended absence from her social media presence. An autopsy report released in December 2016 revealed that she died from a combination of alcohol and multiple medications including diazepam, nordazepam, oxycodone, oxymorphone, and temazepam.
Recognized as a sex symbol, Laurer influenced the wrestling world by paving the way for female performers and challenging conventional gender divisions in the sport. She earned her degree from the University of Tampa in 1992 with a focus on Spanish Literature and studied French and German during her college years, becoming conversant in both languages. Laurer pursued fitness competitions regularly after graduation.
Her high-profile relationship with fellow wrestler Sean Waltman produced a commercially released intimate recording in 2004 titled 1 Night in China, which received a 2006 AVN Award for Best-Selling Title. She subsequently appeared in five additional adult films, with one earning AVN recognition in 2012 as Best Celebrity Sex Tape. In 2019, she achieved posthumous induction into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of D-Generation X, becoming the first female performer honored as part of a team membership. Laurer was discovered deceased on April 20, 2016, in her Redondo Beach, California residence at age 46. Her manager Anthony Anzaldo grew alarmed after observing an extended absence from her social media presence. An autopsy report released in December 2016 revealed that she died from a combination of alcohol and multiple medications including diazepam, nordazepam, oxycodone, oxymorphone, and temazepam.
