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Nicole Bass Cause Of Death: Conflicting Reports As WWE Star Off Life Support

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 08:22 PST, Feb 17, 2017

Nicole Bass is reportedly being taken off life support on Friday, but her likely cause of death remains a mystery as conflicting reports emerge about what led to the demise of the former WWE star.

Bass first rose to fame through her appearances on the Howard Stern Show, later using the popularity and her unique appearance as a bodybuilder to craft a pro-wrestling career. She competed in both the ECW and WWE, garnering a large fan base.

As Wrestling Inc. reported, there was some confusion about the exact circumstances of Nicole Bass’s health crisis. On Thursday night, someone identified as Bass’s girlfriend posted a message on Facebook that made it appear as if the former WWE star had already passed away.

The woman, Kristen Marrone, wrote, “A few days ago Nicole got very sick. She was brought into the hospital and they did everything they could to help her. I have been sitting here with her in the room 24/7 since she got here making sure she was being given the best possible care. Today we learned that there is nothing else that can be done.”

But by Friday morning, Pro Wrestling Sheet contacted the hospital where Bass had been admitted and found that she was still on life support, but it was expected to be removed by Friday night. According to multiple reports, Bass would pass away soon after being taken off this support.

“Bass is currently brain dead, which is why she is being taken off life support. It was reported on Thursday that Bass suffered a massive stroke earlier in the week and never recovered,” Wrestling Inc. reported. “PW Sheet’s source says her girlfriend put the word out via Facebook, before Bass actually passed, because she felt like Nicole was already gone. PW Sheet adds that doctors told those at the hospital yesterday that she became brain dead after suffering a heart attack, and that there’s nothing else they can do for her.”

The report also noted some confusion about Nicole Bass’s likely cause of death. While reports noted that it was a massive stroke that first brought her to the hospital, it was reportedly a heart attack that actually led to her death. The reports did not clarify whether the heart attack and the stroke may have been related or if there may have been an underlying cause to either.

It may be difficult for fans to learn much about the likely cause of death for Nicole Bass, either. Marrone noted on her Facebook page that she and family members would be the sole source for information, and any other reports coming out would only be rumors.

“If its not been posted by me on her page or mine its nothing more than rumor,” she wrote (via USA Today). “I will not be talking to anyone. Anything shared with her fans will be posted personally by myself to her official pages. Nicole kept her private life to herself. Respect that.”

It’s not clear how much Marrone would share regarding the cause of death for Nicole Bass or the other circumstances around her health crisis.

There has been a wave of professional wrestlers who have suffered premature deaths in the last decade, many from heart attacks and strokes. That includes WWE wrestling legend Macho Man Randy Savage, who suffered a major heart attack in 2011. Experts have pointed to a variety of factors for this trend, including the accumulative effects of bruising head and body injuries, an increased use of performance-enhancing drugs in the 1970s and 80s, and illegal drug use among wrestlers.

The exact cause of death for Nicole Bass would likely not be determined until after a medical examination. With the WWE legend still on life support until at least Friday evening, it was not yet clear when that might be conducted.

[Featured Image by Robert Spencer/AP Images]

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