Former pro wrestler and 'Scream Queen' Daffney Unger has been found dead after she sparked concerns over a video posted online.
The 46-year-old first rose to fame in the late 1990s, with her goth makeup, punk style, and uninhibited shrieking earning her the moniker Scream Queen.
Her family knew her as Shannon Spruill and her mum Jean Tookey Spruill posted on Facebook confirming her daughter's death as well as paying tribute to her.
She said in an emotional tribute: "It is with great sadness I have to let you know that my daughter Shannon Spruill ... Scream Queen Daff, passed away suddenly last night.
"Absolutely heartbroken."
Fans had become concerned for Daffney after she posted on Instagram Live on Wednesday, appearing to hold a small firearm.
She spoke about having symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disorder caused by repeated concussions.
In the video the former wrestler said: ""The most important thing to remember is, that, CTE, and head injuries and concussions, they can only really now be--"
After a pause and several breaths she went on: "They can now really only be diagnosed after you are dead.
"So, I don't want to do anything to hurt my brain. I want to be studied. I want the future generations to know. Don't do stupid s--- like me."
SHIMMER Wrestling announced her death on Thursday morning by posting a message from Daffney's friend, Lexie Fyfe.
Devastated fans took to Twitter to pay tribute to her.
One wrote: "This is horrible, I saw people worried about her last night. Truly heartbreaking."
Another said: "Daffney was one of the most charismatic wrestlers to ever grace a squared circle."
And a third wrote: "I am so saddened by this. She was one of my all-time favourite female wrestlers. Truly heartbroken."
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