Ric Flair sued by ex-manager for defamation

Ric Flair’s former manager is reportedly suing the former wrestler for defamation.

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Melinda Morris Zanoni, who served as Flair’s agent for 10 years, recently announced she filed a defamation lawsuit against the athlete after he alleged she stole money from him during a 2017 health scare.

Flair made the claim in a since-deleted YouTube video.

"Melinda, I don't know how you live with yourself," he said in the upload, according to Sports Illustrated. "Twenty years friendship, 10 years my agent. Not a text, you didn't drive down to the hospital. You just didn't give a (expletive). And you assumed I was gonna die, like a lot of people did. And you just grabbed all the money you could run with."

Zanoni denied the allegations in a statement released by her employer, Legacy Talent and Entertainment, LLC, Sports Illustrated reported. The agency said, “Ric Flair having taken down the video is not enough.”

“We will vigorously use the court system to protect our good names and reputations, and obtain damages due to Ric Flair’s defamatory comments contained in the video,” the statement continued. “We intend to amend the lawsuit to include all involved parties and hold all involved accountable.”

While hospitalized for chronic heart-related issues in 2017, Flair announced he was no longer represented by Zanoni. Last month, he was hospitalized again for six days for a undisclosed medical procedure. His wife said he is expected to make a full recovery.

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