Joe Harker
The cause of death of WWE star Bray Wyatt has been revealed after he suddenly died at the age of 36.
The death of the wrestling star, real name Windham Rotunda, was announced on social media by WWE chief content officer Triple H yesterday (24 August).
The former wrestler wrote: "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.
"Our thoughts are with his family and we ask that everyone respect their privacy at this time."
A statement from WWE said: "WWE is saddened to learn that Windham Rotunda, also known as Bray Wyatt, passed away on Thursday August 24 at age 36.
"Known for his captivating performances and incredible in-ring presence, Wyatt was a defining superstar of his generation."
They offered their condolences to his 'family, friends and fans' who loved the 2017 WWE champion who bore the nickname 'The Fiend'.
The 36-year-old's cause of death has been announced by wrestling reporter Sean Ross Sapp on social media, who said he had been given permission to say that the wrestler 'got COVID that exacerbated heart issues'.
Sapp went on to say that there had been 'a lot of positive progress towards a return and his recovery' but that Windham had sadly 'suffered a heart attack and passed away'.
He also encouraged people to respect the family's privacy at this difficult time and said that he'd made the announcement because they'd 'wanted some details clarified'.
Windham was the son of Mike and Stephanie Rotunda, his father, grandfather Robert Deroy Windham and two uncles Barry and Kendall Windham all wrestled with the WWE.
A plethora of tributes have been paid to Bray Wyatt, with many of his fellow wrestlers sending heartfelt messages of sorrow at hearing of his passing.
Mick Foley called him a 'true visionary' and 'one of the most compelling presences that wrestling has ever seen'.
Dwayne Johnson described himself as 'heartbroken' over the news of the 36-year-old's death, saying he had 'tremendous respect and love for him and the Rotunda family'.
He was described as 'always willing to give advice or just shoot the breeze and tell fun stories on the road' by Cedric Alexander, while Titus O'Neil called him a 'wonderful father, husband, brother, friend and son'.
Tribute after tribute praised him for his kindness and sent thoughts to his family.