Chyna Manager: Accidental Overdose Caused Death

Former wrestling star Chyna died of an accidental overdose of a prescription sleeping pill and tranquiliser, her manager has claimed.

The 46-year-old ex-WWE star was found dead in bed at her home in Redondo Beach, California, on 20 April.

Anthony Anzaldo said she may have died two or three days earlier.

Chyna, whose birth name was Joan Marie Laurer, was a lifelong insomniac who had prescriptions for Ambien and a generic version of the anti-anxiety drug Valium, Anzaldo said.

Days before she was found dead, Chyna appeared rambling as she wandered around her apartment wearing headphones and a feather in her hair in a 13-minute video she posted online.

Chyna acknowledged struggling with addiction in the past.

Anzaldo said she had been known to binge drink but had not had a drink for several weeks, and there was no alcohol in her home at the time of her death.

No cause of death has been released by the Los Angeles County coroner's office because results of toxicology tests are pending.

The death initially was reported as a possible overdose with prescription drugs, "but we don't know," coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter said.

Anzaldo said that with the consent of Chyna's mother, he donated her brain to Dr Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who has investigated possible links between the brain injury, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and concussions in athletes.

He was portrayed by Will Smith in the recent film Concussion.

However, Anzaldo said he does not believe that Chyna had the injury.

"It wasn't what cost her life," he said.