Former WWE star Joanie “Chyna” Laurer has died. She was 45. Laurer#39;s team confirmed the news in a written statement shared on her website and Twitter on Wednesday. #RipChynaall of us on team Chyna love you and will love you forever babe. Felix pic.twitter.com/jOfbHUAI2j — Chyna #x0028;@ChynaJoanLaurer#x0029; April 21, 2016 “It is with deep sadness to inform you today that we lost a true icon, a real life superhero,” the statement read. “Joanie Laurer aka Chyna, the 9th wonder of the wor
He once got the media to refer to him only as “the artist formerly known as Prince,” and today millions are paying tribute to him and the music he created. Prince Rogers Nelson, better known as “Prince,” died at his Minnesota residence this morning (April 21st, 2016). He was 57. His hits included “Let's Go Crazy,” “1999” and “Little Red Corvette,” and today, fans remember the eccentric musician as one of a kind. Take a look at his career in pictures below. 1. Prince and Beyonce Perform at 6th Annual Grammy Awards Beyonce Knowles and Prince perform at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center on February 8, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. 2. Prince Presents At The 31st Annual People’s Choice Awards Prince presents the award for ‘Favorite Leading Lady’ onstage during the 31st Annual People’s Choice Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on January 9, 2005 in Pasadena, California. 3. Prince Performs with Mary J. Blige: 2012 iHeartRadio Music Festival Mary J. Blige (L) and recording artist Prince perform onstage during the 2012 iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 22, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 4. Prince and Manuela Testolini: 77th Annual Academy Awards Prince and Manuela Testolini arrive at the 77th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theater on February 27, 2005 in Hollywood, California. 5. Prince Performs At The 2007 Superbowl Halftime Show Prince performs during the ‘Pepsi Halftime Show’ at Super Bowl XLI between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears on February 4, 2007 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. 6. Prince Performs At The 2007 NCLR ALMA Awards Prince performs onstage during the 2007 NCLR ALMA Awards held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on June 1, 2007 in Pasadena, California. View Slideshow
As you’ve likely heard, music icon Prince died today at the age of 57. Not surprisingly, his passing has drawn comparisons to the recent death of another music legend. David Bowie passed away in February after a long battle with cancer that he’d managed to keep private – no easy feat in 2016. Now, many fans are wondering if Prince – one of the only figures in the history of pop and rock music who could accurately be likened to Bowie – took a page from the Thin White Duke’s playbook by hiding his illness from the public in the months leading up to his death. TMZ is now reporting that several insiders believe they have evidence that Prince knew his health was failing . In addition to the fact that he was admitted to the hospital last week for what his reps called a flu, Prince made some surprising comments to the crowd during a party at Paisley Park on Saturday. “Wait a few days before you waste any prayers,” the Purple One said, confusing many on hand. Add to that the fact that Prince began writing his memoirs just last month, and it begins to look as though, like Bowie, the music legend knew his time was fact approaching. We’ll have further updates on this astonishing loss as more details become available. View Slideshow: Prince: Remembering the Music Legend’s Life In Photos
The date: January 3rd, 1997 The place: studio 1A in Rockefeller Center It was Bryant Gumbel's last day as co-host of The Today Show , and a cute-as-a-button Katie Couric wanted to send her coworker off memorably. So, as Matt Lauer, his hair and Al Roker watched, Couric recapped Gumble's sit-down with “the artist formerly known as Prince.” Then, Prince came on to the stage, dressed almost exactly like Gumbel, who was floored to see his favorite musician. Prince shook Gumbel's hand and made his way to the stage, where he performed a medley of his hits (and even rewrote a few words so that his biggest fan would get a mention). Prince died thid morning at his Minnesota home at the age of 57. He was hospitalized last week with the flu, but no cause of death has been released yet. The Associated Press tweeted that he had been touring and recording up until his untimely death, releasing four albums in the last 18 months. Stars paid tribute to the iconic musician via social media, including Justin Timberlake, Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson and Billy Idol. “I miss my brother. Prince was a funny cat. great sense of humor,” Lee wrote. Watch the video below, it's pretty incredible.
We are still awaiting word on the cause of death for Chyna . As of this writing, all we know at the moment is that the former WWE superstar (turned Playboy centerfold… turned adult film star…) was found dead in her home at the age of 45. A number of prescription pill bottles were scattered around her apartment, with authorities ruling out foul play and stating that they did not find anything illegal on the premises. What does seem certain, however, is that Chyna was struggling in the days leading up to her passing. On Sunday, April 17, she shared the following video on YouTube. It's 13 minutes in length and it includes Chyna expressing how “lucky” she felt at the time. However… there's clearly a tone of sadness here, along with some troubling facial expressions. She's also slurring her words as she makes a smoothie, stringing together mini tangents throughout the footage. A few days prior to this recording, Chyna concerned Twitter followers when she joked that she was going to reenact the famous shower scene from Psycho… during which a woman is stabbed to death. “Ok guys!i'm gonna try the psycho shower scene with my new I pad now! Loll!! Let's see!!!! Omg!!” she wrote at the time. Watch the disturbing video below and let's all hope Chyna has at least found some kind of peace in death.
The United States might owe billions of dollars in debt to China, but the celebrity gossip world owes even more to Chyna. The former professional wrestler, whose real name is Joanie Laurer, made news in the past for multiple sex tapes and steroid allegations. She’s been a boon to tabloids around the country. Now, Laurer is making headlines again… for yet another scandalous incident: Gabriela Targos, a (former?) friend of Laurer’s, claims that Joanie beat her up Saturday night at the Sherman Oaks motel. According to Targos, she simply invited Laurer over for the evening – only to watch in horror as the troubled Z-lister snapped, allegedly punching Targos in the face, dragging her by the hair and beating her with a wire hanger. Targos escaped the room and immediately reported the incident to police. They are looking into it. They might also wanna look into the photo above. That ain’t right.
It’s a good news-bad news kind of day for Chyna’s publicist. The good: her client’s back in the news. The bad: it’s for allegedly beating up another woman in a bar…
