Ric Flair Admits He Has Skin Cancer After Publicly Denying It

Ric Flair has revealed he’s battling skin cancer again—just days after denying it in a public tweet.

The 76-year-old wrestling icon came clean in an interview with PEOPLE, confirming he’s facing his second bout of skin cancer in three years. This comes after he adamantly denied any health issues on X, insisting he was “absolutely fine” and not sick.

“It’s the second time in three years that I’ve been dealing with skin cancer,” Flair said. “I will be undergoing treatment next week.”

Flair had initially fueled speculation by appearing in fan photos with facial injuries, prompting concern from fans and prompting podcast partner and son-in-law Conrad Thompson to respond online.

“He had a skin cancer removed but go on,” Thompson posted in response to the speculation.

Still, Flair attempted to shut down the conversation with a defiant tweet, writing:

“I’m Sorry People Have Been Misled By Social Media, But I Don’t Have Cancer Of Any Kind. Thank You For Your Concerns And For Everyone Reaching Out. I Am Absolutely Fine, And Unfortunately, You’ll Have To Live And Put Up With Me For Another 25 Years!”

Now, Flair says the initial denial was his way of keeping the diagnosis private until he was ready.

“Appreciate the concerns!” he told PEOPLE, acknowledging the outpouring of support once the truth came out.

Flair’s health history is long and serious. In 2017, he was hospitalized with severe stomach pain, which led to a cascade of life-threatening complications. He was placed in a medically induced coma after developing kidney failure and nearing congestive heart failure. His survival odds were reportedly just 20%, but Flair made it through after surgery to remove part of his bowel and the placement of a pacemaker.

In his 2022 Peacock documentary Woooooo! Becoming Ric Flair, his ex-partner Wendy Barlow revealed that slipping into his larger-than-life WWE persona helped him cope.

“I don’t know how he survived. What he did was go back into Ric Flair, to be a character so he didn’t have to feel.”

Even now, Flair’s resilience is front and center, but fans are grappling with his decision to downplay the diagnosis online. Ric Flair might’ve tried to keep this one quiet, but the truth always finds its way out—especially when you’re The Nature Boy.

Now that the legend has come clean, all eyes are on how he handles this latest fight. If history tells us anything, it’s that Ric Flair doesn’t stay down for long. Whether he’s stylin’, profilin’, or battling cancer, he’s doing it on his terms—Flair style.