Longtime professional wrestler Ric Flair was hospitalized after a reportedly serious medical event.
TMZ reported that Flair, 70, was in Atlanta when he was taken to the hospital after an unspecified medical event. He was taken to the hospital’s emergency room.
Flair’s representative didn’t return a request for a comment. A source to the outlet that the condition is “very serious.”
Flair, a 16-time champion, had a health scare last year when he was placed in a medically induced coma and on life support for 10 days due to kidney failure and other health issues, according to reports.
Flair said he’s had a number of health issues stemming from his longtime issues with alcohol, according to ESPN.
“They told my kids that everything had shut down ... kidney failure, congestive heart failure, everything shut down,” Flair said at the time. His knack for partying and struggles with alcoholism have been well-documented over the years.
“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,” Flair told the network. “Then pretty soon, it was drinking a beer, getting to the hotel, drinking liquor.”
On a regular basis, he estimated that he had “between 3,700 and 4,000 calories” worth of alcohol and soda regularly. “It’d be like 20 drinks a day,” he added.
In 2017, the “Nature Boy” told People magazine that he vowed to never drink again.
“It scared the [expletive] out of me,” he told People at the time. “I never want to go through this again.”
“My daughter [Charlotte] told me that the doctor told her to go see me—that I wasn’t going to make it. I had no idea it was that bad. Wendy never told me,” he said, referring to his longtime girlfriend.
Notable Celebrity Deaths in 2019
Peggy Lipton
Actress Peggy Lipton, who starred in David Lynch’s iconic show “Twin Peaks,” and the 1960s show “The Mob Squad,” died on May 11 at the age of 72.
The cause of death was cancer.
Nipsey Hussle
Rapper Nipsey Hussle was shot dead at the age of 33 in South Los Angeles on March 31.
Iconic “Boyz N The Hood” director and the youngest ever Oscar nominee for best picture died after spending days in a coma following a stroke.
Peter Tork
Albert Finney
James Ingram
Longtime R&B singer James Ingram died in late January. Quincy Jones, a collaborator of his, wrote, “With that soulful, whisky sounding voice, James Ingram was simply magical ... every beautiful note that James sang pierced your essence and comfortably made itself at home.”
Freddie Starr
Celebrity comedian Freddie Starr died aged 76 at his home in Spain, according to reports.
The body of the British-born funnyman was reportedly discovered by a caregiver at his apartment in Mijas on the Costa del Sol on May 9, the Mirror reported.
Starr had been ill.
A neighbor, who asked not to be named, told the Mirror: “His carer found him dead in his chair at around 3:30 p.m. Police arrived first and then later an ambulance arrived and he was taken away.
“His next door neighbor, who is a nurse, said he was definitely dead. She said she thinks he may have suffered a heart attack.”
Kelly Jobanputra
BBC Radio 6 music presenter Kelly Jobanputra, of Swindon in southwest England, died on April 26, according to the Swindon Advertiser. She was tragically struck and killed by a train, according to reports.
The celebrity radio host had just turned 40 in April, The Sun reported, and last year had given birth to her second child.
Fatima Ali
“Top Chef” alum Fatima Ali died on Jan. 25, after a battle with terminal cancer. She was 29.
Former “Top Chef” contestant Bruce Kalman paid tribute to her: “It’s with a heavy heart we say goodbye to Fatima Ali today, as she has lost her battle with cancer,” he wrote.
Carol Channing
Bob Einstein
Comedian and actor Bob Einstein died on Jan. 2 after a battle with cancer. He was 76.
Daryl Dragon
Daryl Dragon, or “Captain,” of pop group Captain and Tennille, died on Jan. 2 of renal failure.
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter who covers a range of topics, including politics, U.S., and health news. A father of two, Jack grew up in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5