WWE superstar Charlotte Flair is honoring the memory of an 8-year-old superfan, Scarlett Guillen, whose courageous fight against a rare form of cancer left a lasting impression on the wrestler.
Guillen, who was affectionately known as "Scarlett Strong," was diagnosed with Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG), a type of tumor that grows on the brain and spinal cord. Initially given six months to live, she defied expectations for nearly three years.
Flair first connected with Guillen, a resident of Orange County, California, through WWE's partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. During Flair's recovery from an ACL tear, she received a call from a social media manager about a young fan eagerly asking for her. This led to a FaceTime call that blossomed into a deep bond.
"What I learned from her, even at 8 years old, was she woke up every day with a smile on her face," Flair told The Post. "She went to school even after her diagnosis . . . Maybe she didn’t comprehend it, but I think deep down she did."
This experience prompted Flair to re-evaluate her own outlook. "What I took away from the experience is we really do have to wake up every day going, ‘Today is not guaranteed and some of us don’t have tomorrow,’" Flair said. "She was 8 years old. I’m 40 . . . she doesn’t get to see how good life can be."
Flair developed a close relationship not only with Scarlett but also with her parents, Kim and Isaiah, and her older sister, Ellena. She attended Scarlett's First Communion in May and invited the family to WrestleMania in April, where she wore special butterfly-themed gear in Scarlett's honor.
"She’s like family to us now," Scarlett's mother, Kim, said in a May TikTok video posted by WWE. "She’s told me plenty of times, ‘You’re stuck forever with me.’ To hear that coming from her, it means the world to us."
After Scarlett's death on July 4, Flair posted a tribute on Instagram, calling the young girl "one of the greatest gifts of our lives." She also shared a link to a GoFundMe created to help cover funeral costs. Flair recently expressed gratitude to Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton for a $10,000 donation to the fund.
"It really helped cover her funeral costs," Flair told Fox News. "I saw him tonight at the show and I was like, hey, thank you. You have no idea how much that meant to me, to the family. Just, what a great guy."
Reflecting on Scarlett's passing, Flair suggested the young girl's impact might continue to unfold. "She’s such a special kid and what this has meant in her passing away I think is larger than I will know maybe 10 years from now."