Sara Lee, a former WWE “Tough Enough” winner who spent over a year on the company’s NXT brand, has died, her mother confirmed on social media. Lee was 30 years old.
Terri, Lee’s mother, made the shocking revelation on her Facebook page.
“It is with heavy hearts we wanted to share that our Sara Weston has gone to be with Jesus,” Terri wrote. “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.”
Lee appeared in the sixth season of WWE “Tough Enough” in 2015, a reality show hosted by the pro wrestling promotion to select who would receive a WWE contract. She won the competition alongside Josh Bredl, who wrestled as Bronson Matthews.
The Hope Township, Michigan, native first performed under the alias “Hope” before returning to her given name. Before joining NXT, she was assigned to the WWE Performance Center and trained there. She worked for the company until 2016, when she was let go.
In 2017, she married wrestler Wesley Blake, real name Cory Weston.
Her cause of death was not disclosed.
A GoFundMe page was set up to assist her family.
“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 GoFundMe reads.
“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.”