What’s the story?
TMZ is reporting that deceased WWE legend Chyna owes the state of California thousands in back taxes. The site states that the California Franchise Tax Board has filed a claim against the estate of the former WWE Intercontinental Champion, saying that she reportedly still owes the state almost $19,000.
The board claims that the money is owed from the years between 2010 and 2014 (excluding 2013).
In case you didn’t know
Chyna, real name Joanie Laurer, passed away as a result of a drugs overdose on April 20, 2016. Since her death, her estate has been the subject of fierce debate, with her family attempting to wrest control of it away from Laurer’s manager, at whose feet many lay the blame for Laurer’s death.
Laurer’s mother was awarded control of the deceased wrestler’s estate in October 2016, not long after requesting detectives take another look at the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death.
The heart of the matter
Being in control of the estate may all of a sudden become a huge burden for Laurer’s mother. It is unknown how much money remains in the estate.
$19,000 is no small amount of change, and some are speculating that this may well be the tip of the iceberg. The taxes stem from Chyna’s brief tenure as a pornographic actress, as well as her time in Japan as an English teacher.
What next?
The state almost always gets its way in these cases, and it is unlikely that the California Franchise Tax Board will be lenient, even on the deceased. Chyna’s high profile media persona will almost certainly work against her estate, as her career is so much in the public eye that failure to stay on top of taxes will only be put down to negligence on behalf of the accused.
Until the amount of money left in the estate is confirmed, it could prove an awkward time for the remaining family of Joanie Laurer.
Sportskeeda’s take
Chyna will go down in history as one of the most tragic figures in modern professional wrestling. She was a genuine trailblazer that played an important role in wrestling’s boom period, before going on to become a victim of the nefarious politics that plague every corner of the industry.
More so than most, Chyna was chewed up and spat out by professional wrestling, and it is little surprise that demons continue to follow her even in death. Here’s hoping that closure can come to this case sooner rather than later.
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