Ex-WWE supertar Ashley Massaro has died at age 39
Ashley Massaro, a former WWE wrestler and reality TV contestent, has died, the WWE said Thursday. She was 39. The cause of death is not yet known.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Massaro won WWE's "2005 Raw Riva Search" and later a high-profile match against Melina at Wrestlemania 23 in 2007. She appeared in 2007 on "Survivor: China," but was eliminated in the second episode.
The WWE said in a statement that Massaro performed in WWE from 2005-2008 and was "beloved by her fellow Superstars and fans around the world."
Massaro was one of 60 former professional wrestlers who joined together in lawsuit against WWE alleging the organization failed to protect them from repeated head trauma including concussions that led to long-term brain damage, according to NBC News. The lawsuit was dismissed last year by a federal judge who called the lawsuit's claims "frivolous" or said they had occurred outside of the statue of limitations. WWE denied the allegations in the lawsuit.