Charlotte Flair Issues Sarcastic 'Apology' After Off-Script Promo

In a pointed social media post, Flair issued a sarcastic “apology” for calling Chicago fans “smart” during a recent episode of SmackDown, referencing their brutal reactions to her appearance. The jab, while delivered in character, appears to suggest she's embracing a heel gimmick that the fans have essentially forced her into.

Flair’s comments came during a fiery back-and-forth with Tiffany Stratton, who stoked the fire by mocking Flair’s three divorces. Flair responded on-air by alleging that Stratton’s boyfriend, Ludwig Kaiser, had sent her private messages—a claim WWE later edited out of the segment on its YouTube channel. Speculation was that WWE was not pleased with either of Flair or Stratton, even though the promo caught a lot of attention online.

Following the incident, Flair posted:

“After being blindsided by my personal trauma on live television, my character said something on-air that was not true, and I'd like to take this opportunity to clear the air. I should have NEVER called the Chicago fans smart. I sincerely apologize.”

The post is clearly poking fun at both the audience and the backlash she's received. Fans who continue to boo Flair, despite her being booked as a babyface in recent months, have grown increasingly vocal—especially following her Royal Rumble return, which was met with mixed to negative reactions.

Adding fuel to the fire, when one fan mocked Flair on social media by suggesting retirement was knocking, she clapped back:

“I think it’s your mom; she’s trying to be #4.”

The Original Script For the Promo Revealed

Per WrestleVotes, the original Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton segment wasn't supposed to mention anything about their personal lives. Instead, it was all about comparisons between Stratton and Flair, who were annoying Flair, and that Stratton getting the Money in the Bank briefcase only proved Stratton hadn't earned a right to face her at WrestleMania. Stratton was supposed to claim that Flair was a so-called Queen without a Kingdom, and she no longer ran the women's division.

Instead, things went way off-script, and the two took shots at personal relationships.

Flair is now leaning fully into the heel role fans have been casting her in. From here on in, whether real or scripted, Flair’s ongoing feud with Stratton has become one of WWE’s messiest storylines—one that’s blurred the line between reality and kayfabe, and made Flair one of the most polarizing figures on the roster.