Bray Wyatt, WWE Superstar, Dead At 36

Bray Wyatt, a beloved WWE star, has died at the age of 36. WWE's Chief Content Officer, Paul Levesque, a retired wrestler who goes by the stage name Triple H, shared the following statement via Twitter. "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," he tweeted. "Our thoughts are with his family and we ask that everyone respect their privacy at this time."

At this time, no one from Wyatt's camp, including his ex-wife, has disclosed his cause of death. However, it's possible Wyatt's death is related to his recent encounter with a "life-threatening" illness that forced him to take a break from wrestling. In August, Fightful Select published a report claiming that Wyatt had been battling an undisclosed illness, but that his bosses were cautiously optimistic about his recovery. "Wyatt is inching closer to being medically cleared to wrestle, but WWE is taking precautions to make sure that his long-term health will be stable following the illness, which they've learned was at one point both career and life-threatening," a source shared (via Forbes).

Bray Wyatt — who took three years to settle on his most famous wrestling name, per Bleacher Report — worked within the pro-wrestling circuit for 14 years. According to The Famous People, Wyatt first entered pro-wrestling in 2009 at the age of 24. And though he found success on his own, his more enduring fans came through his joining of The Wyatt Family, a group of professional wrestlers who put on lively, chaotic matches from 2012 to2017.According to the New York Post, Wyatt's death comes three years after his fellow teammate, Luke Harper, died from respiratory illness.

Unfortunately, Wyatt has left behind his fiancé, JoJo Offerman, and his four children, two of whom were born during his previous marriage to Samantha Rotunda. Wyatt's youngest child, Hyrie Von Rotunda, was born on May 28, 2020, per Bleacher Report. Wyatt introduced her by posting a photo of her little body wrapped in his tattooed arms, one of many examples proving that, despite his gruff on-stage act, he shared a much softer side with his children and family. Over the years, Offerman has acknowledged Wyatt's gentler side in a series of Father's Day posts. 

"To the man who goes above and beyond for the ones he loves the most, we are so lucky to have you! Happy Father's Day babe @thewindhamrotunda The way you are with the kids is unmatched. and Happy fathers Day to all the incredible dads out there," Offerman wrote on Instagram in June 2022.