Wrestling legend Ric “Nature Boy” Flair had a series of tumultuous marriages and his union with Jackie Beems was among the most contentious.
Flair, now 68, and the beautiful blonde Jacqueline Beems started out with marital bliss and ended up with a marriage that was punctured by abuse and harassment allegations.
Flair, who is in critical condition, was married four times, and at least three of those marriages had similar accusations.
Flair, 68, who is struggling with multiple organ failure and was reported to be in critical condition on August 16, is considered by many fans to be one of WWE’s best wrestlers in its history.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Jackie Beems Was Ric Flair’s Fourth Wife
GettyRic Flair with his ex-wife, Jackie Beems.
When Flair married Jackie Beems in 2009, he’d already been married and divorced three other times. He met her in 2004, though, alleged PlayerWives. According to ESPN, They met “at a steakhouse bar in Chicago, committed to other people” and at first decided to be friends.
Flair’s four marriages were, in order, to Leslie Goodman, Elizabeth Harrell, Tiffany Vandemark, and Jackie Beems. Ric Flair doesn’t currently have a wife. He is engaged to Wendy Barlow. Jackie wasn’t alone in finding it difficult to be married to Ric Flair. Some of the other marriages also ruptured into ugliness in court proceedings.
All that being said, fans are rallying behind Flair, as is Barlow, his fiancee.
Barlow wrote in a Facebook post of Flair’s condition, which worsened on August 16, “Just want to give an update to my friends and family as I have been unable to talk on the phone without crying and just feel shocked over events. I took Ric to the hospital Friday night with severe abdominal pain. From that moment on it all seems like a nightmare … multiple organ problems.”
2. Beems Was Accused of Abuse by Ric Flair
Jackie Beems.
The marriage between Ric Flair and Jackie Beems ruptured spectacularly. She was accused of abusing him, although charges were never filed. In 2010, the Associated Press reported, that Beems was “reportedly arrested…after she allegedly attacked the the WWE Hall of Famer and left him bloodied and bruised.”
According to UK Daily Mail, the charges were dropped for lack of evidence.
“Beems reportedly used her teeth, arms and legs in a dispute with her husband last night in their home in North Carolina,” reported AP. In 2012, UK Daily Mail reported, “Professional wrestling legend Ric Flair called police to stop his wife from beating him, according to reports, the second (time) he has needed authorities to intervene during a fight with his spouse.”
Flair and Jackie married in 2009 and were divorced by 2012.
“Police were called to the residence around 9:40 p.m. but noted that Flair’s injuries did not require medical attention, and no arrests were made,” reported PlayerWives, which added that Ric Flair declined to press charges, and no one was arrested.
3. An Arrest Warrant Was Issued for Beems When She Was Accused of Harassing Barlow
TwitterWendy Barlow, left, and finacee Ric Flair.
In 2013, TMZ reported that an arrest warrant was issued for Jackie – sometimes called by her more formal name, Jacqueline – after accusations she made “a series of harassing phone calls” to Flair’s new girlfriend, Wendy Barlow.
Ric Flair alleged that Barlow had “50 text messages and five voice mails” from Beems.
According to PlayerWives, Beems was also accused of DUI in 2012. FabWags reported that Ric Flair was once accused of “not paying Beems more than $32,000 in spousal support.”
As to the spousal support allegations, Flair told USA Today at the time, “The reason I didn’t pay … the 32 grand is because my son died and I was in the hospital for a month. I was in the hospital for a month with a blood clot. I didn’t go to work for three months.”
4. Jackie Accused Ric Flair of Cheating on her
GettyRic Flair on November 24, 2009 in Perth, Australia.
That wasn’t the end of the drama in the short-lived marriage. Jackie also accused Flair of cheating on her.
TMZ reported that court documents showed Jackie alleged: “Husband has had numerous intimate relationships with other women during the parties’ marriage, to the embarrassment and humiliation of wife.” Flair’s lawyer denied the allegations to TMZ. Jackie also alleged she was treated in a “cruel and barbarous manner.”
Two of Flair’s other marriages lasted longer.
Ric Flair’s first marriage was fairly long-lasting, resulted in two children, and didn’t end up a media spectacle. The children were David – who is also a professional wrestler – and Megan.
“Leslie and Ric married in 1971 and went on to have two children. The couple were married for more than a decade when they announced that they had filed for divorce in 1983,” reported Sportster. “The marriage is one of the only ones that didn’t end in a media circus of court proceedings and it seems that it was ended amicably between the two former partners.”
Flair’s second marriage, to Elizabeth Harrell, also produced two children, Reid and Ashley, and it was his longest marriage: 23 years. Tragedy struck the Flair family in 2013, when Reid was found dead in a hotel room of an accidental overdose. He had heroin and other drugs in his system, according to TMZ.
Flair’s marriage to Elizabeth also had allegations of abuse. According to Grantland, “In a 2005 divorce case with Elizabeth Harrell — wife no. 2 — Flair’s lawyers lodged accusations against Beth.”
The Bleacherreport, in an expose on Flair’s troubled behavior, described a litany of bad behaviors – allegedly by Ric Flair. They ranged from alleged abuse to racial slurs to parading around a mistress.
Ashley, the daughter of Elizabeth and Ric Flair, is a well-known wrestler too; she is known as “Charlotte” on the professional wrestling circuit.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXX14IcAiwX/?taken-by=charlottewwe
Ashley AKA Charlotte wrote on Instagram, “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. ???❤️””
Flair’s third marriage to Tiffany Vandemark only lasted a couple of years and did not produce children. It also had contentious moments.
You can see a photo of Flair with Vandemark here.
5. Flair Is Engaged to Barlow, Who Was Once Known as ‘Fifi the Maid’
Flair moved on to a new woman, but he decided to keep her his fiancee, and they had not yet married. Barlow met Flair when the two worked together in World Championship Wrestling. They’ve been engaged for a year.
Flair and Barlow met through wrestling. Barlow was known as “Fifi the Maid” in wrestling promotions. The pair once appeared on the show Celebrity Wife Swap.
Barlow’s the mother to four children of her own.
Flair wrote on one photo of Barlow on Instagram, “Finer Than Summer Time Wine ?.”
