Ex-WWE Star Tammy Sytch Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison After Fatal DUI Crash

Martin Holmes November 28, 2023, 9:15 am

Tammy Sytch, better known to pro-wrestling fans as former WWE on-air personality Sunny, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison after she was involved in a DUI crash that led to the death of another driver.

According to FOX 35 Orlando, Sytch was charged with driving with a suspended license, DUI, DUI with damage to person, DUI with damage to property, and DUI causing death.

She received a 10-year sentence and a seven-year sentence, to be served consecutively. In addition, she will be required to serve 8 years of probation following her prison sentence, 50 hours of community service, and pay a $10,000 fine. Her driver’s license has also been permanently revoked.

Sytch received credit of more than 500 days for time served. She has been locked up since May 2022 following the horrific car crash in Florida in March of that same year.

#WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch was handed a 17-year sentence for her role in the death of Jullian Lasseter yesterday. In March of last year, Lasseter was killed when his vehicle was struck by Sytch, who was driving her boyfriend’s vehicle at the time. Sytch was… pic.twitter.com/tQOe4pF4DS

— WWE & AEW Rumors (@WWEAEWRumors) November 28, 2023

Prosecutors claimed Sytch drunkenly smashed her car into another vehicle, killing the driver, 75-year-old Julian Lasseter. At the time, police officers said she had a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher. Sytch initially denied the charges but later accepted a plea deal, which could have seen her face up to 25 years behind bars.

Former WWE star Tammy “Sunny” Sytch was sentenced in a Florida court on Monday to 17 years in prison for a 2022 car crash that claimed the life of a 75-year-old man.

Sytch had pleaded no contests in August to charges stemming from a crash in March 2022 that killed Julian… pic.twitter.com/VmXPAsNoFr

— Paul Kang (@LPaulKang) November 28, 2023

The sentence was handed down in a Volusia County courtroom on Monday, November 27. During the hearing, an emotional Sytch addressed the courtroom and apologized for her actions.

“I know my words are not enough. But please know I think about you every day,” Sytch said, addressing the victim’s family (per Fox 35). “Every second of every day, and I will do whatever I can to make the changes I need to make sure this never happens again. No one should have to go through this, and please know that every single second of every day since the crash, I wish I could change places with him.”

Speaking to Fox 35 after the sentencing, Lasseter’s daughter, Whitney Lasseter-Hill, said, “We are a little bit disappointed in the outcome. I think it should’ve been longer than what they — what she agreed to.”

Sytch was once a popular figure in the world of wrestling, especially throughout the 1990s, when she gained fame in the then-WWF (now WWE), where she performed under the moniker Sunny. She primarily acted as a ring announcer and manager and is widely considered as the WWE’s first-ever “Diva.” She left the company in 1998.

She continued making appearances in wrestling, primarily in ECW and WCW, and later on the independent circuit. And she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011. But in recent years, her life has been marred with controversy.

Since 2012, Sytch has been arrested and locked up several times, including at least six arrests for driving under the influence. She served 114 days in prison in 2013 after violating a protective order and was locked up again in 2016 after violating her parole.

Tammy Sytch mughsot

She was arrested again while on probation in her home state of New Jersey in early 2018 for two DUIS. After failing to appear in court, she was charged with two fugitive from justice charges; during this time, it was also discovered she was already a fugitive from justice due to her parole in Pennsylvania having been revoked. She remained in prison until she was paroled on October 8, 2018.

After further DUI charges and a decision to revoke her 2018 parole, Sytch was again put behind bars and served over a year until her release on February 25, 2020. Her trouble with the law continued until the fatal crash in March 2022.

Check out some of the reaction to Sytch’s sentencing below.

As far as Sunny [Tammy] getting sentenced to 17 years. She is lucky she didnt get 25 years. And to the weirdo fanboys who still cant get over their “childhood” crush. How stupid do you feel now? You should have picked Sable

— Kev Castle- Yeah That Guy (@KevZCastle) November 27, 2023

What a fall from grace for the former “most downloaded woman on the Internet” and WWE Hall of Famer, Tammy “Sunny” Sytch. If she serves her entire sentence, she’ll be 67 when she’s released from prison in 2041. pic.twitter.com/dHI7yl11JM

— Jimmy Van (@jimmyvan74) November 27, 2023

Tammy Sytch #Sunny needs to be in jail for LIFE! LIFE!!

— Dave (@irondhosea) November 27, 2023

@DirtyDMantell Thought you ought to know : Tammy Sytch ( Sunny) was sentenced to 17 years in prison and drivers license is taken away for life. She deserved it . Thought she’d get at least 10 years but 17 years and probation after that and a civil lawsuit seems reasonable.

— Joseph Catalano (@will2survive71) November 28, 2023