Shannon Spruill, perhaps more known by her ring name "Scream Queen" Daffney Unger tragically passed away on the night of September 1st, 2021 at the age of 46. Daffney had gone live on her Instagram page, appearing to be in distress, allegedly holding a pistol, and requested that her brain be sent for CTE testing in Boston. (No, that video will not be posted here and any posts of it will be taken down). An outpouring of support, worry and calls for help echoed throughout social media. Multiple people from within the industry, as well as friends and family, had attempted to reach out to her during and after this livestream.
Daffney was forced to retire due to multiple injuries during her time in TNA. Since then she had made appearances in other promotions such as "Wrestlelicious" in a brief in-ring role, "Shine Wrestling" as a hostess and manager, and "Ring of Honor" at the end of their Women of Honor tournament in April of 2018.
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Personal note, Daffney was the first female wrestler I was a HUGE fan of when I first saw her in TNA. Her creativity and character work are undoubtedly a huge inspiration for a lot of wrestling characters today. You can see bits and pieces of her in female wrestlers like Rosemary, crazy AJ Lee, Fiend-ish Alexa Bliss, Abadon, etc. From all accounts by others, she was a really good person as well.
Rest in Peace/Power "Scream Queen" Daffney Unger.
Mental health and suicide prevention are serious. Be kind. Seek help. You are not alone.
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7 free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones.
1-800-273-8255
