When they came up with the phrase "family man," it likely wasn't with the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair in mind. Ever since he adopted the "Nature Boy" persona in the mid-1970s, Flair's "jet flying, kiss stealing, wheeling dealing son of a gun" ways have been used to describe both his wrestling persona, and the way he lived his life away from the ring as Richard Flierh. It's a lifestyle that has drawn Flair plenty of controversy regarding some of his behavior, and led to him having a very volatile personal life, one that has seen him married and divorced four times. One of its blessings for Flair, however, is that it has also left him with plenty of children, including four biological children and several stepchildren from his relationship with Wendy Barlow, aka WCW's Fifi the Maid, whom he never legally married, but had a "non-binding" marriage ceremony with in 2018.
When it comes to Flair's four biological kids, there's not much the public doesn't know about them, given that three followed Flair into the wrestling business. There's of course Charlotte Flair, Flair's youngest daughter and the sixteen time WWE Women's World Champion, who appears destined to join her father in becoming a WWE Hall of Famer somewhere down the road. While Flair's oldest son, David Flair, wouldn't quite reach those heights, his near decade in the wrestling business saw him find some success in WCW and the independent circuit, with David often working with Flair in angles. Flair's youngest son, Reid, seemed poised to have a strong wrestling career after debuting in 2008. Only Flair's oldest daughter, Megan, has largely stayed out of wrestling, but even she remains connected through her marriage to wrestling superfan and podcast host Conrad Thompson.
Unfortunately for Flair, tragedy has struck him several times regarding his children, most notably when it came to Reid. Though he showed promise in the ring in his early 20s, Reid's career was hampered by legal issues and drug problems; between 2007 (prior to his wrestling career) and 2011, he was arrested three times, overdosed twice and, according to current WWE chief content officer Triple H, failed two drug tests that prevented Reid from signing a WWE developmental deal. On March 29, 2013, just 12 days after wrapping up a tour with All Japan Pro Wrestling, Reid died at the age of 25 as the result of an overdose. His death would have a profound effect on both Flair and Charlotte, with the latter choosing to become a wrestler in honor of her brother and to live out his dream.
Tragically struck again for Flair 11 years later, this time involving one of his stepchildren with Barlow. On October 26, 2024, Flair's stepson, Sebastian Kidder, was found dead via self-inflicted gunshot wound. Though the cause of death was different, the situation was eerily similar to Reid's death, as Kidder has only been 24 years old, one year younger than Flair, at the time of his passing. Flair, who had separated from Barlow only a month before, was grief-stricken, and took to social media to pay remembrance to his stepson, sharing a photo of the two together. Flair credited Kidder for being there for him, alongside Barlow and Kidder's siblings, during Reid's death in 2013, as well as Flair's own near death experience back in 2017.
