WWE Superstar Ric Flair and Wendy Barlow Split, Say They Were Never Actually Married

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Ric Flair and Wendy Barlow have ended their relationship.

Despite hosting a wedding ceremony in 2018, the 72-year-old wrestling legend and Barlow confirmed on Monday that they were never legally married.

"It was just a ceremony," Flair tells PEOPLE exclusively. "We were never married."

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Barlow also confirms to PEOPLE that the pair's Florida nuptials in 2018 were never official and that no marriage certificate was ever applied for. She says that she and Flair have been living separately for the past six months.

Earlier, Flair issued a statement on Instagram, revealing that he and Barlow "have decided to go our separate ways."

"After taking some time apart, Wendy and I have decided to go our separate ways. Please respect our privacy & our families during this time! I will love & cherish all of our memories together forever, and I will forever be thankful for all she has done to make my life better!" the former WWE star wrote.

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Flair and Barlow celebrated their union on the rooftop of the Pearl Hotel in Rosemary Beach, Florida, in Sept. 2018. "Dreams do come true," they said in a statement at the time.

During the ceremony, which Flair partially livestreamed on Facebook, he wore a custom David Alan Black Label white suit. Barlow wore a gown with a form-fitting sparkly bodice and a tulle skirt.

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The pair have been together through several health scares, including Barlow's bout with the coronavirus in 2020.

In an interview with the New York Post in 2020, Flair said they were staying in separate areas of their home when Barlow tested positive for COVID-19.

"My wife does [have the virus] … we live in a 5,000 square foot home," Flair, who lives in Georgia, told the Post. "I live in the basement. She lives upstairs on the third floor and she got sick."

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Flair has had a number of health issues, himself, over the years, including an emergency in August 2017 when it was revealed he was in the early stages of kidney failure and on the verge of congestive heart failure — the result of years of alcohol abuse, PEOPLE previously reported.

Doctors at the time told Flair he only had a 20 percent chance of surviving and he was placed into a medically induced coma before eventually recovering with Barlow by his side.

He was previously married to Leslie Goodman (from 1971-1983), Elizabeth Harrell (from 1983 to 2006), Tiffany VanDemark (from 2006-2009) and Jackie Beems (from 2009-2014).