WWE star Bray Wyatt passed away unexpectedly on Thursday. He was 36 years old.
Wyatt’s real name was Windham Rotunda. WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque made the announcement on X.
“Just received a call from WWE Hall of Famer Mike Rotunda who informed us of the tragic news that our WWE family member for life Windham Rotunda – also known as Bray Wyatt – unexpectedly passed earlier today,” Leveque wrote. “Our thoughts are with his family and we ask that everyone respect their privacy at this time.”
While no official cause of death has been given, wrestling reporter Sean Ross says that the cause of death was a heart attack aggravated by COVID.
Fellow wrestlers took to social media to express their grief at Wyatt’s passing.
“Im heartbroken over the news of Bray Wyatt’s passing,” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wrote on X. “Always had tremendous respect and love for him and the Rotunda family. Loved his presence, promos, in ring work and connection with @wwe universe.”
“Man…the first dude that took me under his wing when I got signed in 2009,” Ettore “Big E” Ewen wrote on X. “We spent so much of our adult lives together. Praying for Jojo. Praying for his kids.”
“Heartbroken is an understatement to my feelings at the moment about this news,” Titus O’Neil wrote on X. “Windham was the consummate professional, the Ultimate Teammate and a Wonderful Father, Husband, Brother, Friend and son.
“Always brought smiles.”
Wyatt began his WWE career in 2009 on the promotion’s developmental roster. He earned his spot as a regular performer on the list of main performers in 2012. Wyatt is survived by his wife, JoJo Offerman, a former WWE ring announcer, and their four children.