Daffney Unger.Photo: Daffney Unger/Instagram
The autopsy, released Monday, confirms Unger’s cause of death was suicide. The sports star, who died Sept. 2, was 46.
The athlete (whose real name was Shannon Spruill) “had suffered multiple concussions and was concerned about CTE,” a Gwinnett County Police Department officer told the county’s medical examiner office, per the report.
Unger’s brain has been taken to Boston University Traumatic Brain Injury Center for evaluation, according to the Gwinnett County chief medical examiner.
In her final Instagram Live, Unger expressed worries about having CTE.
According to the autopsy, Unger also had a medical history of bipolar disorder and was no longer taking her medication at the time of her death.
The wrestler’s mother confirmed Unger’s death on Sept. 3, writing on Facebook, “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.”
RELATED VIDEO: Former WCW Wrestler Daffney Unger Dead at 46 After Concerning Instagram Live Video
SHIMMER Wrestlingannounced Unger’s death with a message from her friend, Lexie Fyfe. Social mediaaccountsconnected to WWE also posted tributes to the former wrestler, who got her start in 1999 on WCW and also had a notable stint in TNA.
While not all football players develop CTE, it is prevalent in the league — in a 2017 study of thebrains of 111 deceased NFL players, a Boston University researcher found 110 of them had the disease. CTE can cause symptoms of depression, impulsive behavior, short-term memory loss and emotional instability, according to theMayo Clinic.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go tosuicidepreventionlifeline.org.
source: people.com
