Former ECW and WWE star Nicole Bass had fallen ill and was taken to the hospital over the weekend after suffering a heart attack. She was put on life support, was unresponsive and reportedly brain dead, per Pro Wrestling Sheet. She was eventually taken off of life support, according to a separate report.
Here's a note shared on her Facebook page late Thursday night:
"Dignity and Respect.
2 things every person on this planet deserves.
2 things very important to Nicole Bass.
The past few days I, Kristen Marrone, have been posting to my girlfriends pages to try and keep her very personal life private. Rumors have been spreading around the internet about her health. A few days ago we didn't know all of what was going on so I have been trying to keep it quiet until we had answers. Nicole values her privacy and I Respect that. Before anyone tries to take the story and twist it up and make it ugly I want to put it out there in a Respectful way.
A few days ago Nicole got very sick. She was brought into the hospital and they did everything they could to help her. I have been sitting here with her in the room 24/7 since she got here making sure she was being given the best possible care. Today we learned that there is nothing else that can be done.
Nicole was an amazing woman. Strong not only on the outside but inside as well. Beautiful soul and kind heart. Many people knew Nicole but few ever got close enough to know the REAL woman that she was. I got to be one of the lucky few. Not only was she my soul mate and my girlfriend but she was my best friend, my teacher and my business partner. I learned many valuable things from her and created many beautiful memories in the time we had together.
I would like to keep her page open for her loving fans and friends to share their photos and memories.
I just ask that you treat Nicole with the dignity and respect that she deserves.
Thank you to everyone that has been reaching out to and helping me through this very difficult time.
Nicole, I love you. I will always love you.
I will always be yours and you will always be <3mine <3*Edited to make it clear. Yess Nicole has passed away. No it wasn't on news sites first because she wouldn't have wanted it to be. I have been working very hard to keep it private until myself and those closest to her were ready to speak about it. Please respect our privacy at this time. Any information NOT found here posted by THIS page or Kristen Marrone is not true"
A former bodybuilder, Bass entered professional wrestling with ECW in 1998. She joined WWF by 1999, but left the company shortly thereafter after controversy emerged following a claim she was sexually assaulted by Steve Lombardi, which a jury found him not guilty on.
She reportedly was hospitalized in 2006 following a "steroid influenced pancreatitis."
Our thoughts are with the former pro wrestler.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DbiWzpF8rk