By WFAN.com
Former WWE wrestler and Long Island native Ashley Massaro committed suicide by hanging, according to a report by TMZ Sports on Tuesday.
The website cited multiple sources connected to the situation. Earlier reports had already said Massaro died of an apparent suicide.
Police responded to a report Thursday morning of an unconscious person at Massaro's Smithtown, Long Island, home. She was taken to a hospital where was pronounced dead, Suffolk County police said.
Officials determined there was no criminality involved.
In 2005, Massaro beat out of thousands of entrants to win WWE's "Raw Diva Search," which included a one-year, $250,000 contract. She wrestled for the company until 2008 and competed in two WrestleMania matches, including one for the women's championship in 2007.
Massaro had suffered from depression for years, according to multiple reports. Her lawyer, Konstantine Kyros, told the New York Post that she may have had the degenerative brain disease CTE that is linked to repetitive head trauma and that she wished to donate her brain to science for research. Massaro's family was a "little upset" about the idea, he said. CTE can only be diagnosed after death.
Massaro was among 60 wrestlers who sued WWE in 2016 alleging it was responsible for neurological injuries. The lawsuit was dismissed, but that ruling is being appealed.
The WWE honored Massaro with a full-screen "In Memory" slate during Sunday's "Money in the Bank" pay-per-view event.
Massaro was also a cast member on "Survivor: China" in 2007, and the Long Island native appeared on the cover of Playboy that same year.
Most recently, Massaro was working as a disc jockey for 94.3 The Shark on Long Island.
Massaro will be laid to rest in Suffolk County, TMZ reported. She is survived by an 18-year-old daughter, Alexa, who posted a touching tribute to her mother on Instagram that read: "i love you mommy i want to wake up in your arms more than anything i want to give u a big hug please come back this can't be real."
