Celebrity News May 16, 2019
Report: Ric Flair Rushed to Hospital After ‘Very Serious’ Medical Emergency
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WWE legend Ric Flair, 70, has reportedly been hospitalized.
TMZ Sports reports that Flair was first taken to an emergency room in Atlanta for an unspecific reason on Thursday morning. A source said that the situation is “very serious.”
Earlier in the day, Flair showed no signs that anything was wrong. He posted a throwback photo of himself in the ring, writing on Instagram, “Throwback Thursday! WOOOOO! #tbt.”
According to Fightful.com, his son-in-law Conrad Thompson revealed that Ric had a planned procedure. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com tweeted, “[Conrad] stated that Flair and the family knew the procedure was coming and he could have had it before or after Vegas, and wanted to feel good for Starrcast.”
Flair's medical emergency comes nearly two years after he was put into a medically induced coma with a 20% chance of surviving. He suffered from early stages of kidney failure and heart issues due to alcohol abuse. Doctors removed part of his bowel and installed a pacemaker to control his heartbeat.
After the surgery, his daughter Charlotte showed her appreciation to all those who prayed for her dad. She wrote, “Hi guys, On behalf of my family and I, we want to THANK everyone for the prayers, texts, calls and support. Our Dad is a FIGHTER and your continued thoughts and prayers MEAN THE WORLD to us. We will update everyone when we have more information.”
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Of his near-death ordeal, Ric told People magazine, “It scared the sh*t out of me,” emphasizing, “I'll never drink again. I never want to go through this again.”
After his health crisis, Flair opened up about his past struggles with alcohol. He told ESPN's “Dan Le Batard Show” that he consumed excessive amounts of alcohol every day. He shared, “When I started in the business in 1972, we drove 3,000 miles a week, we drank beer on the road… threw cans out the windows and all the stuff, no cops, it was just a way of life.”
He went on, “Then pretty soon, it was drinking a beer, getting to the hotel, drinking liquor… It'd be like 20 drinks a day.”
Flair's wrestling career spanned 40 years — he retired in 2012.
