Ric Flair Says Wrestling Fame Cost Him His Time With His Children and He Has Regrets

Ric Flair has opened up about the personal cost of being one of professional wrestling’s most devoted performers — and the sacrifice he identifies most clearly is time he cannot get back with his children. Speaking on The Thanalysis Show podcast, Flair was asked to share advice for those chasing the kind of fame and success he achieved, and his answer was rooted in genuine reflection rather than celebration.

“I get asked that a lot and it’s easy to say this now but when you want to be the best at something and to be the best, I just had to sacrifice and I — Yes. I regret not spending more time with my children, but I was traveling,” Flair said. He then described the reality of what a top performer’s schedule looked like during the era that defined his career. “Even guys that were the world champion, we worked every day back then. So you saw your kids in the morning, you saw them at lunch, and then you get home at 3:00 in the morning, get up, work out. They’ve already gone to school and you go to another town.”

Ric Flair Has Four Children Including Charlotte Flair and the Late Reid Flair

Flair has four children, including Ashley — known in WWE as Charlotte Flair — and David, both of whom entered the wrestling business. His son Reid passed away in March 2013 following a drug overdose. The admission that fame came at the cost of time with his children is a candid acknowledgment from one of the most celebrated performers in wrestling history that the lifestyle which built his legacy also carried a price that statistics and championship reigns cannot capture.