The mother of three has been remembered as an “inspiration to many in the sports-entertainment world”.
Former professional wrestler Sara Lee has died, aged 30.
The 2015 WWE Tough Enough winner – who finished top of the reality challenge show seven years ago to earn a contract with the company – had three children with her husband, former WWE star Wesley Blake, real name Cory Weston.
Lee’s mother announced the death in a Facebook post saying the family was in “shock” and that her daughter was “gone to be with Jesus”.
She wrote: “It is with heavy hearts we wanted to share that our Sara Weston has gone to be with Jesus. We are all in shock and arrangements are not complete. We ask that you respectfully let our family mourn. We all need prayers especially Cory and her children.”
A cause of death has not been confirmed.
WWE posted that it was “saddened” by Lee’s passing, saying that she served as an “inspiration to many in the sports-entertainment world.”
WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of Sara Lee. As a former "Tough Enough" winner, Lee served as an inspiration to many in the sports-entertainment world. WWE offers its heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and fans. pic.twitter.com/jtjjnG52n7
— WWE (@WWE) October 7, 2022
By winning WWE’s reality show in 2015, Lee earned a one-year contract with the company, making her debut at a non-televised NXT event in January 2016.
During her time in NXT, Lee worked with the likes of SmackDown star Aliyah, and the show’s current women’s champion Liv Morgan, while she also shared the ring with the IIconics, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce.
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Her final WWE match before her release she teamed with Liv against Billie and Peyton, while she continued to train in the ring over the past few years, and married Weston in December 2017.
In her final social media post on Wednesday, Lee shared a selfie of herself in the gym and wrote: “Celebrating finally being healthy enough to go to the gym 2 days in a row ?? first ever sinus infection kicked my butt.”
The wrestling world has started posting tributes and memories of Lee, with one fan tweeting: “Rest in peace Sara Lee I remember voting for her to win Tough Enough.” Another added: “Sending Westin Blake and their children all the love in the world. This news about Sara Lee hurts my soul so much. I wish this wasn’t true.”
A memorial fund started overnight to raise money to help Lee’s husband raise the couple’s three children and by Friday morning over $60,000 had been raised.
The fundraiser reads: “We’re all shocked and saddened by the sudden death of Tough Enough winner Sara Lee. As her loving husband, Cory, picks up the pieces and continues to raise their 3 children, the last thing anyone in that position wants to be worried about is money and paying for a funeral and everything else that comes along with it.
“The wrestling community has always been one to come together in the wake of tragedy and this is no different. Every penny raised from this will go directly to Cory and the kids. Thank you all in advance. RIP Sara, you were one of the good ones.”
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