Days after Ashley Massaro, a former WWE star and Survivor contestant, died suddenly at 39 in New York, her legal team alleges that she may have had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease that has been linked to head trauma.
Massaro, who died in an apparent suicide, had long suffered from depression โ and had alleged that injuries she sustained during her wrestling career exacerbated her condition.
In 2016, Massaro and 60 other former pro wrestlers sued the WWE, claiming that they had suffered neurological injuries in the ring. After a federal judge dismissed the case, the plaintiffs filed an appeal, which is still ongoing.
Massaro, who died in an apparent suicide, had long suffered from depression โ and had alleged that injuries she sustained during her wrestling career exacerbated her condition.
In 2016, Massaro and 60 other former pro wrestlers sued the WWE, claiming that they had suffered neurological injuries in the ring. After a federal judge dismissed the case, the plaintiffs filed an appeal, which is still ongoing.