Bray Wyatt, the innovative and creative wrestling star, passed away at the age of 36, WWE chief content officer Triple H announced on social media. Wyatt, whose real name was Windham Rotunda, was renowned for pushing the boundaries of wrestling entertainment with his inventive characters.

“Just received a call from WWE Hall of Famer Mike Rotunda who informed us of the tragic news that our WWE family member for life Windham Rotunda – also known as Bray Wyatt – unexpectedly passed earlier today. Our thoughts are with his family and we ask that everyone respect their privacy at this time,” Triple H wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“WWE is saddened to learn that Windham Rotunda, also known as Bray Wyatt, passed away on Thursday, Aug. 24, at age 36. WWE extends its condolences to Rotunda’s family, friends and fans,” WWE said.

Dwayne Johnson, known as ‘The Rock’, wrote: “I’m heartbroken over the news of Bray Wyatt’s passing. Always had tremendous respect and love for him and the Rotunda family. Loved his presence, promos, in ring work and connection with wwe universe. Very unique, cool and rare character, which is hard to create in our crazy world of pro wrestling. Still processing losing the goat, Terry Funk yesterday and now Bray today. My love, light, strength & mana to the Rotunda family and Funk family during this tough, heartbreaking time. As always, ‘thank you for the house’.

Wyatt had been absent from WWE in recent times. His wrestling journey began in 2009 with WWE, and despite a surprising release between 2021 and 2022, he made a triumphant return in September of the previous year, captivating audiences with a mysterious storyline featuring cryptic vignettes that significantly boosted television ratings.

One of his most iconic creations was ‘The Fiend’, a supernatural character introduced in 2019. With a terrifying clown-like mask, The Fiend presented a stark contrast to Wyatt’s kid-friendly alter ego, Firefly Funhouse.

This complex dual character concept showcased Wyatt’s exceptional creativity. While controversial for its perceived invulnerability in the ring, The Fiend captured the audience’s imagination and became a highlight of WWE programming. His last match was at the 2023 Royal Rumble.