Last night’s WWE SmackDown featured more than one shocking moment, but Charlotte Flair may have stolen the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
During her match with Nia Jax, Flair suffered an unexpected wardrobe malfunction that forced the production crew to repeatedly cut to black as she tried to adjust her gear. The interruptions were noticeable to viewers at home, though the match continued without being stopped.
Despite the hiccup, Flair carried on like a pro, keeping her composure and finishing the bout against “The Irresistible Force.” Fans on social media were quick to praise her professionalism and the production team’s quick response to contain the situation on live television.
Before the match, Flair was part of a backstage segment that hinted at her next big storyline. The Queen and her tag team partner Alexa Bliss, the current WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, crossed paths with the newly crowned WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill.
Cargill, fresh off a dominant win over Tiffany Stratton, delivered a warning to the women’s locker room, claiming that anyone who steps to her will meet the same fate. As she walked past Flair and Bliss, tensions flared immediately. Cargill held her championship high, exchanging heated words with the duo before Bliss pulled Flair back, reminding her to focus on her upcoming match with Jax.
It seems WWE may be planting the seeds for a major showdown between Charlotte Flair and Jade Cargill — a clash between two powerhouses that could redefine the SmackDown women’s division.
Wardrobe slip aside, Flair remains front and center in the women’s scene, and with Jade Cargill now on top of the mountain, the blue brand may be heading toward an explosive confrontation between two of the most dominant stars in WWE history.
The marriage between WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair and fellow wrestler Andrade has officially ended after two years. According to Florida court records obtained by TMZ, Flair (real name Ashley Fliehr) initially filed for divorce in June 2023, and a judge finalized the split in December 2024.
Flair and Andrade (Manuel Alfonso Andrade Oropeza) tied the knot in May 2022 in a lavish ceremony held in Andrade’s hometown in Mexico. The wedding, covered by People, featured several wrestling legends in attendance, including Flair’s father, Ric Flair, and WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio.
A Relationship That Rarely Crossed Into Work
Though both are prominent figures in the wrestling world, their careers never truly overlapped on-screen. The couple first made headlines in 2019 when dating rumors surfaced during Andrade’s initial WWE run. By New Year’s Day 2020, they had announced their engagement. However, Andrade left WWE in 2021 to sign with AEW, keeping them in separate promotions for much of their marriage.
In 2023, Andrade returned to WWE at the Royal Rumble, but by that point, Flair had been sidelined due to a knee injury, meaning they once again spent little time in the same workplace. The closest their careers ever came to intersecting was Andrade teaming with Ric Flair for Ric Flair’s Last Match in 2022, shortly after the wedding.
No Public Reason Given for the Split
At this time, no official reason for the divorce has been disclosed. TMZ noted that court documents did not include any specifics regarding the separation.
For Andrade, 35, this was his first marriage, while the 38-year-old Flair has been married twice before.
Following the news of the divorce, Flair addressed fans on Instagram, expressing gratitude for their support:
“To all my amazing friends, family, and fans – thank you for your unwavering support and for continuing to be there through thick and thin. I truly appreciate each of you.”
While both stars have remained silent on the details of their split, fans will likely be watching closely to see what the future holds for them—both personally and professionally.
Anticipation is building as “The Queen” Charlotte Flair appears to be gearing up for her long-awaited return to the WWE women’s division. Flair, a 15-time women’s champion and one of the most decorated performers in WWE history, posted a 19-second video on X (formerly Twitter) that has fans buzzing about her comeback.
In the clip, Flair is seen running up and down a quiet road, wearing a knee brace, as a gritty monologue plays over the footage. Addressing both her critics and herself, Flair says, “Charlotte, she’s selfish. She’s just Ric Flair’s daughter. She’s going to come back washed. She’s not even that good. Oh, she’s been handed everything. You’re going to prove them wrong. Ashley, get out of your f**king head.” The caption accompanying the video reads, “It’s ME vs ME. Always has been, always will be” — punctuated by a painted red nails emoji.
The powerful video not only serves as a message of resilience but also suggests Flair is ready to silence doubters and reclaim her spot at the top of WWE’s women’s division.
The Long Road to Recovery
Charlotte Flair’s last WWE appearance was on SmackDown in December 2023, when she suffered a devastating injury during a match against Asuka. A dangerous fall from the top rope left Flair with a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus, forcing her to the sidelines for over a year. The Grand Slam Champion’s absence was felt deeply in the women’s division, and rumors of her comeback have been swirling ever since.
Last September, reports surfaced that WWE had preliminary creative plans to involve Flair in a storyline with then-WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax and rising star Tiffany Stratton. However, her recovery timeline put those plans on hold. Now, with the Women’s Royal Rumble just two weeks away on Saturday, February 1, speculation is mounting that Flair could make her dramatic return in the annual battle royal.
Could Flair Be Royal Rumble-Bound?
The timing of Flair’s video has fueled speculation that her comeback could happen at the Royal Rumble, one of WWE’s biggest events of the year. Adding to the intrigue, Flair is not the only high-profile name rumored for a return at the Rumble. Alexa Bliss, who has been absent from WWE programming since mid-2023, and Becky Lynch, Flair’s longtime rival and occasional ally, are also reportedly gearing up for returns.
The idea of Flair, Bliss, and Lynch reentering the fold simultaneously has fans dreaming of blockbuster feuds and fresh storylines for 2024. With Flair’s history of dominating at marquee events, it wouldn’t be surprising to see her use the Royal Rumble as the perfect stage for her return.
What’s Next for “The Queen”?
If Flair does make her comeback at the Royal Rumble, it could set the stage for a potential WrestleMania moment. A win in the Rumble would give her a title opportunity at WrestleMania 41, and with a division stacked with stars like Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, and IYO SKY, the possibilities are endless.
Regardless of when and where Flair officially returns, her video makes one thing clear: she’s coming back with something to prove. As her motivational monologue suggests, Flair isn’t just battling external challenges — she’s facing down her own doubts and expectations. For “The Queen,” it’s always been about striving for greatness and silencing anyone who dares to question her legacy.
Stay tuned as more details emerge, and be sure to catch the Women’s Royal Rumble on February 1 to see if Charlotte Flair makes her triumphant return to WWE!
It’s been a long year without “The Queen” in the WWE spotlight, but the wait for Charlotte Flair’s return might finally be over. Flair, a 14-time women’s world champion, has been sidelined since December 2023 after sustaining severe knee injuries—tearing her ACL, MCL, and meniscus—during a match against Asuka on WWE SmackDown. Initially given a nine-month recovery timeline, fans have been eagerly anticipating her comeback, especially after Charlotte posted a cryptic teaser on her X account last month.
Now, according to a promising update from WrestleVotes, Flair’s return could be happening sooner than expected:
“Sources indicate that Charlotte Flair’s return is imminent, with the possibility of it happening as soon as this weekend on NBC. We are told creative was tasked earlier this week with structuring the presentation of her return.”
This weekend’s Saturday Night’s Main Event on NBC seems like the perfect stage for such a monumental return. While the show hasn’t been overtly promoted as a nostalgia-driven event, there’s plenty of buzz surrounding the lineup and potential surprises.
Here’s what fans can look forward to:
Jesse “The Body” Ventura is set to return to the WWE commentary team for one night only.
The iconic winged-eagle WWE Championship design, famously carried by legends like Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart, has been teased as a possible return for Cody Rhodes.
The crowning of the first-ever Women’s United States Champion, with the tournament finalists being decided on this week’s SmackDown.
Major title matches, including defenses of the Women’s World Championship, the World Heavyweight Championship, and the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Charlotte Flair making her comeback during Saturday Night’s Main Event would add yet another layer of excitement to an already stacked night. Given the show’s legacy and Flair’s lineage, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ric Flair accompany his daughter for her return, creating a special multi-generational moment.
As one of WWE’s biggest stars, Charlotte’s return is a game-changer for the women’s division. With WrestleMania season looming closer, her comeback could shake up championship plans and set the stage for blockbuster rivalries. Whether she appears this weekend or shortly after, the wrestling world is ready to welcome “The Queen” back to her throne.
Keep an eye on Saturday Night’s Main Event this weekend for what could be an unforgettable night in WWE history!
Charlotte Flair’s ACL, MCL, and meniscus injury wasn’t going to heal overnight, but after a series of optimistic reports from close confidantes and Flair herself, WWE fans have been waiting in cautious anticipation for the return of “The Queen.” Flair recently gave fans some more reason to hope for an imminent return, as she took to Instagram to post an injury update.
The video features Flair in a Biodex testing machine, furiously kicking her injured leg. “The Queen”‘s face is red, and her knuckles are white as she grips the seat’s handles to stabilize herself as she pushes herself to the limit.
Today marked Flair’s first Biodex test, specifically an isokinetic test. Isokinetic tests are considered one of the most objective ways to determine a moving muscle’s endurance, strength, and rate of force development, or how fast Flair can develop force in her surgical leg. According to Flair, she needed to be “in the 40% or less deficit” compared to her non-injured leg. Essentially, her injured leg’s strength needed to be no more than 40% less powerful than her non-injured leg in order to be considered on track for recovery. Flair excitedly shared that the deficit in her quad strength was “20% or less,” and that in some measurements, her injured leg was actually stronger than her non-injured leg. These hopeful statistics imply that her recovery is well ahead of schedule, and is going smoothly.
Flair ended the post by expressing an excitement to resume in-ring activity. Several WWE stars extended their good wishes to Flair, with Carmella posting several applause emojis and Dakota Kai expressing her support with some choice muscle emojis.
As of writing, Flair has been out of action for six months. “The Queen” could resume in-ring action in September 2024, at the absolute earliest. There have been no reported plans regarding Flair’s return from a creative standpoint at this time.
Deadline has reported that Charlotte Flair has been cast in a leading role for the upcoming indie horror/thriller You Lose You Die alongside Freddy Rodriguez.
The film is written and directed by Carlos “Spiff TV” Suarez, with Rodriguez, Josue “Sway” Mendez, and Ulysses Terrero serving as executive producers.
The synopsis of the film, which is in preproduction as of this writing, reads:
You Lose You Die follows sociopathic tech expert, Mr. Fantastik (Rodriguez), who runs a popular show on the dark web with two other sociopathic tech experts, Ms. Perfect (Flair) and Mr. Creep (Anthony Alvarez). On the show, thousands of viewers vote on games and challenges for prisoners to participate in. If the prisoners lose, viewers vote on the weapons the sociopaths use to kill them.
The former WWE Women’s Champion has been out of in-ring action since December 2023 due to injury, last competing against Asuka on the Tribute to the Troops edition of SmackDown.
Charlotte Flair appeared to suffer a knee injury during her match against Asuka on Friday Night SmackDown last week, as she was spotted yelling “my knee” at Charles Robinson who was tending to her after the match. We’ve been waiting for any kind of diagnosis in the meantime and the first bit of official news to come out is not good.
Indeed, WWE announced during this week’s show that Flair did indeed suffer a knee injury on a spot coming off the ropes and she will have to miss nine months of action.
According to a report from Pwinsider, Flair suffered a torn ACL, a torn MCL and a torn meniscus after falling from the top rope. Additionally, it is believed that she suffered a strain to her neck. While the surgery has not taken place just yet, it is expected to happen in the near future.
The timing of this couldn’t be worse, considering we’re just before the holidays and WWE is gearing up for its biggest time of the year, the Royal Rumble to WrestleMania 40 push. Flair was undoubtedly going to be a major part of both.
It seems last Friday’s episode of “WWE SmackDown” may be one Charlotte Flair will wish she could forget. During a match against Asuka, the 15-time women’s champion took a nasty spill off the top rope, hitting her head and landing awkwardly on her leg, leading to the match being quickly wrapped up. The injury has since been confirmed to be legitimate, and judging by WWE’s current reaction, it doesn’t appear Flair will be around any time soon. PWInsider reports that Flair has returned to her home in Florida and has been pulled off the road until further notice. As of this writing, it’s unclear how much time Flair will miss, though WWE is said to be moving quickly to determine the nature of the injuries she suffered during the match.
This will be Flair’s third absence in the past year and a half, having missed over seven months in 2022 and another two months earlier this year. However, neither absence appeared to be caused by injury — in 2022 it was attributed to her marriage to AEW star Andrade El Idolo, while her missed time this year seemed to be a planned break after her loss to Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 39.
Should Flair miss a significant amount of time, it would throw a wrench in the current direction of the “SmackDown” women’s division, which has seen Flair, Bianca Belair, and Shotzi feuding with a revitalized Damage CTRL comprising Bayley, Dakota Kai, Kairi Sane, Asuka, and WWE Womens’ Champion IYO SKY. Alongside Becky Lynch, the trio recently defeated Damage CTRL in a WarGames match at the Survivor Series PLE.
Charlotte Flair appears to have suffered an injury on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown.
During Friday night’s show, Flair faced off against Asuka in a singles match and appeared to have been hurt during the commercial break.
When the show returned from the break, Charlotte was being checked on by referee Charles Robinson. They eventually went to a quick finish, with Asuka winning via a roll-up due to Bayley’s interference.
Following the match, Charlotte was helped to the back by WWE’s medical staff. It is said that the injury occurred as Flair was setting up for a move but slipped and was caught on the ropes. She wound up hitting her head and wrenching her knee.
On Friday’s episode of “WWE SmackDown,” general manager Adam Pearce presented Asuka with a brand new WWE Women’s Championship belt, replacing the “Raw” Women’s Championship she won from Bianca Belair at Night of Champions
Before Pearce could even buckle the belt around Asuka’s waist, she was confronted by a returning Charlotte Flair, who informed Pearce that she had no intention of waiting in line for a title shot and challenged Asuka to a championship match, which was immediately accepted. The appearance marked Flair’s return to WWE programming after a two-month hiatus; she was last seen losing the “SmackDown” Women’s Championship to Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 39.
Asuka’s acceptance of Flair’s challenge potentially sets up the fourth televised championship singles match between the two women, with Flair currently holding a 2-1 advantage (there have been 11 total singles match between them, six won by Flair, five by Asuka). It also puts Pearce in a bind, as earlier in the broadcast, he had promised Belair a rematch for the title. While Pearce mentioned in a backstage segment that Asuka vs. Charlotte could occur the night on the June 30 “SmackDown,” the night before Money in the Bank, it’s also possible WWE is ultimately setting up a triple threat involving Belair.