WWE Champion Bray Wyatt’s Cause of Death Revealed

WWE star Bray Wyatt's death rattled the wrestling community. Now, fans and friends know how he died.

The 36-year-old former champion (real name: Windham Rotunda) died on Thursday (Aug. 24). Former WWE wrestler and chief content officer Triple H (Paul Levesque) announced the news on social media, saying that Wyatt's father — Hall of Famer Mike Rotunda — had called him.

"Our thoughts are with his family and we ask that everyone respect their privacy at this time," Triple H writes.

Wyatt was a third-generation wrestler from central Florida. In addition to his father, two uncles wrestled, and his grandfather was Blackjack Mulligan, a popular wrestler in the 1970s and 1980s. Brother Taylor Rotunda also wrestles professionally as Bo Dallas.

Fightful.com wrestling reporter Sean Ross Sapp revealed that the family had given him permission to share Wyatt's cause of death.

How Did Bray Wyatt Die?

Sapp's account matches what WWE fans witnessed in 2023, when Wyatt disappeared from television in February. He had contracted COVID-19, and that exacerbated a heart issue.

"There was a lot of positive progress towards a return and his recovery," Sapp tweets. "Unfortunately today he suffered a heart attack and passed away."

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was among the many wrestling stars to mourn Wyatt's death. It came just two days after the death of another legend, Terry Funk.

During an interview soon after Wyatt's death, Paul "Big Show" Wight recalled his friend's smile, laugh and kindness whenever they'd come together.

"Just the positive energy he created around him was so special, so neat," Wight tells reporter Denise Salcedo. "It doesn't feel real right now."

Wyatt's career took off in 2014, and over the next five years, he'd become known as one of the sport's best performers. He'd gone by several names prior to then, but settled on Wyatt, a charming cult leader from the swamps. In interviews, he'd often say that if anyone wanted him, they should just "follow the buzzards" flying above bodies left in his wake.

In 2019, he'd become The Fiend, a scary clown-like character that was nearly unbeatable. Two years later, he'd be released by WWE, but in 2022, he returned as Wyatt. This time he was a protagonist haunted by his dark alter-egos. His final match was a Royal Rumble in January.

Rotunda was engaged to WWE announcer JoJo (Offerman), and together they had two children. He also had two children with his first wife, Samantha.