Inside Former Bodybuilder Hayley McNeff's Death Years After Her Retirement

Bodybuilder Hayley McNeff died on Aug. 8, 2025, per an obituary shared online by Boston.com. The outlet reported that the former bodybuilding champion died unexpectedly, though it was reportedly peaceful. What many of her longtime fans and supporters want to know, however, is what Hayley McNeff's cause of death was.

Hayley became a name in the bodybuilding industry in the early 2000s. She was even part of a 2005 documentary. In it, Hayley admitted that the journey to "getting huge" was never-ending for her.

"There's no limit," she said at the time, per the New York Post. "I hope there's a day that I'll be able to look in the mirror 100 percent of the time and be like, 'Yeah man, I'm huge.'"

Immediately following the news of what happened, Hayley's cause of death was not provided. There are some theories among fans who left comments on some of her Instagram posts. Some theorized that Hayley died of a blood clot or aneurysm during her sleep, as both of those would be unexpected and peaceful, as outlined in her obituary.

However, at this time, no cause of death has been given. Neither Hayley nor her family shared that she was battling an illness or diagnosis prior to her death. Afterward, Hayley's dad, Dave McNeff, spoke to People. He didn't share details about her death, but he did say that the family misses her "madly."

"Hayley was like a beam of light in this world," he told the outlet. "She had boundless energy and was very determined to achieve whatever she set out to do." Hayley is survived by her parents, brother and sister, and extended family members.

Several other bodybuilding athletes also died within months of Hayley's death, per Daily Mail. In April 2025, Vito Pirbazari, another bodybuilder, died of a heart attack. A month later, in May, just a week apart, Brazilian weightlifters Gui Bull died due to asphyxiation, and Wanderson da Silva Moreira died during a competition. In July, Spanish bodybuilder Lorena Blanco died of a reported heart attack.

After Hayley essentially retired from bodybuilding, she still continued to focus on fitness. But, professionally, she pursued a career in psychology. In Hayley's obituary, the family asked for donations to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The organization offers support and research about mental illness for individuals and their family members.

Outside of an interest in psychology and her former career in bodybuilding, Hayley also offered life coaching, according to her Instagram bio. She appeared to have left the sport that encompassed her life for a long time, but she had been well on her way to continuing down a new path.