Hulk Hogan, born Terry Bollea, is widely regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. After succumbing to a cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida, on July 24, 2025, at age 71, several tributes poured in.
The WWE described him as one of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, who helped the franchise achieve global recognition in the 1980s. Despite his success, Hogan’s career was marred by controversy in 2015 after he was exposed for using a racial slur.
Hogan was heard in a leaked audio commenting about his daughter Brooke’s love life after learning that she was dating a Black man.
RELATED STORIES
A transcript obtained and published by Radar Online and the National Inquirer at the time recorded Hogan as saying, “I mean, I’d rather if she was going to f–k some n—-r, I’d rather have her marry an 8-foot-tall n—-r worth a hundred million dollars! Like a basketball player…I guess we’re all a little racist. F–king n—-r.”
Hogan in 2015 was ultimately axed from the WWE and removed from its Hall of Fame after the audio was leaked. He was, however, reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018.
In TMZ’s recent special on the deceased entertainer, former WWE boss and co-founder Vince McMahon touched on giving Hogan a second chance by allowing him to return to the WWE in the wake of the controversy. McMahon, 79, was also adamant that Hogan was not a racist, PEOPLE reported.
READ ALSO: When Hulk Hogan was fired over racist remarks
“I knew he wasn’t racist,” McMahon said about the deceased wrestler in TMZ Presents: The Real Hulk Hogan. “I’ve been with him for so many years. He wasn’t a racist.”
In January 2024, McMahon resigned from the WWE after a former employee filed a sexual assault lawsuit against him. “He said some racist things, and he should pay for that,” McMahon said. “And he did.”
“But in the end, I think everyone saw the real Hulk Hogan, Terry Bollea, and they felt, ‘Wait a minute, this guy, he doesn’t act like a racist. He’s not a racist,'” McMahon continued. “We all make mistakes. That was a big one, but he wasn’t a racist.”
After the audio in question was leaked, Hogan apologized for his behavior.
“Eight years ago, I used offensive language during a conversation. It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologize for having done it,” the deceased wrestler told PEOPLE at the time.
“This is not who I am. I believe very strongly that every person in the world is important and should not be treated differently based on race, gender, orientation, religious beliefs or otherwise. I am disappointed with myself that I used language that is offensive and inconsistent with my own beliefs.”
Hogan, in another interview with PEOPLE, also admitted that he used the “N-word” and revealed it was “one huge mistake.”
