Ric Flair Clarifies Wendy Barlow Reunion Is Friendship, Not Romance

Ric Flair is setting the record straight after a social media post sparked speculation that he and former partner Wendy Barlow had rekindled their romance.

The 77-year-old wrestling legend caused a stir on Sunday, August 9, when he posted that Barlow had come “running back” to him. The phrasing led many fans to assume the two, whose romantic relationship ended amicably in 2024, were giving things another shot.

Flair has since clarified that isn’t the case. In a follow-up statement, he explained that he and Barlow are reconnecting as longtime friends rather than partners, noting that Barlow is relocating to the Tampa area — where Flair also lives — primarily to help care for her aging parents, both of whom are in their 80s and dealing with health issues.

“Wendy and I are not renewing a relationship. We are renewing a 34 year friendship,” Flair wrote, adding that the two maintain separate residences. He said Barlow will continue her humanitarian travel work while he focuses on public appearances and autograph signings, which he called what he loves most.

Flair also pushed back on anyone reading negativity into the update, pointing to the support Barlow and her family provided him during one of the hardest stretches of his life. “The one part I am sure of, which she reminds me whenever we speak, is that she will always be there for me if I get sick again, and I was sick for two years! Her whole family took care of me,” he wrote, adding, “Wendy and I are good.”

Flair and Barlow’s bond dates back decades, long before romance entered the picture. Barlow appeared on WCW television during Flair’s run there as Fifi, a maid character tied to his gimmick. That professional relationship eventually grew into something more personal, and the two got engaged in 2016 before holding a wedding ceremony in 2018 — though they were never legally married. They separated in 2022, reconciled, and then ultimately ended their romantic relationship for good in 2024.

Barlow’s role in Flair’s life became especially significant during his 2017 health scare, when he was hospitalized with a bowel blockage that triggered life-threatening complications. Flair has spoken openly in the years since about how close he came to dying. Barlow reportedly stayed by his side throughout the ordeal, sleeping in the ICU and refusing to leave during the most critical stretches — an experience that clearly still shapes their relationship today.

Flair remains under contract with AEW, even though he’s rarely featured on its programming these days. Outside the ring, he stays busy with the convention and meet-and-greet circuit, represented for those bookings by Steven Solomon Sports Group.

For a wrestling business built on messy personal narratives, Flair’s statement is a reminder that not every headline-grabbing post is setting up a storyline — sometimes it’s just two people with decades of history looking out for each other. Given how public Flair’s life has been for the better part of 50 years, don’t expect this to be the last time fans read more into one of his posts than he intended.