Authorities in Florida have concluded their investigation into the passing of wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, confirming that he died of natural causes last year.
Terry Gene Bollea, known worldwide as Hulk Hogan, was 71 years old when he passed away on July 24, 2025. The decision to close the case was made by the Clearwater Police Department, who verified on Friday that an autopsy determined his death as an ‘attended natural death.’
The comprehensive investigation, documented in a 72-page report, found no indications of foul play, categorizing Hogan’s death as non-suspicious. Investigators conducted interviews with multiple witnesses, including Hogan’s occupational therapist, and examined recordings from the scene to reach their conclusion.
Initially, it was reported that Hogan suffered from cardiac arrest at his Clearwater residence before being transported to a local hospital where he ultimately passed away.
Investigators spoke to several witnesses – including Hogan’s occupational therapist – and reviewed various recordings from the scene.
It was initially ruled that he had suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, before passing away at a local hospital.
His occupational therapist was said to have been present at the wrestling icon’s Florida home when he stopped breathing and raised concerns over Hogan’s condition.
Law enforcement sources reportedly told TMZ that the therapist claimed to officers responding to the 911 call at Hogan’s home that the late wrestler was the victim of medical malpractice.
Investigators in Florida have determined wrestling legend Hulk Hogan died of natural causes last year
A therapist has claimed that the late wrestler’s phrenic nerve has been ‘severed’ in surgery
The therapist, Justin McCamey, allegedly told officers that during a recent medical procedure the surgeon ‘severed’ Hogan’s phrenic nerve.
The phrenic nerve is crucial for a person’s breathing, controlling the diaphragm – the muscle that supports inhalation and exhalation. Phrenic nerve damage can lead to diaphragm paralysis, causing difficulty breathing.
However, in a followup interview filmed by police, the occupational therapist clarified that he’s ‘not a neurosurgeon’ and just assumed it was difficult to sever a phrenic nerve and was making assumptions off of what he’d heard.
He also noted that he had only visited Hogan twice and only been employed by him for two weeks when he passed.
Hogan’s family filed a petition in October to extend the statue of limitations for an investigation into medical malpractice.
Clearwater Police thanked the wrestling legend’s family and their legal team for cooperating.
‘Their willingness to allow our investigators access to very personal information, at a time when they were grieving and struggling, was extremely helpful,’ they said in a statement.
‘We would not have had the legal justification to obtain much of the information without their cooperation.’
The shock death came just weeks after his wife Sky Daily denied rumors he was on his deathbed in a coma – and claimed his heart was ‘strong’ after he underwent a routine neck surgery.
A month before his death, however, a source revealed to DailyMail.com that Hogan – who was embroiled in a shocking family feud with his ex-wife Linda and estranged daughter Brooke earlier this year – was trying to work his way back to ‘100 percent’ after neck and back operations. It is unclear which surgery the therapist was referring to.
Seen with his wife Sky Hogan on the beach in an Instagram snap
. The wrestling legend died on July 24, aged 71. He had a history of leukemia CLL, which is a type of cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes. Seen in 2009
‘Hulk has a body ravaged by wrestling, his body is the body of a 140-year-old man with all the bumps and bruises through the years, and his recent neck and back surgeries have been harder to come back from,’ a source close to Hogan said.
His wife Sky had denied rumors he was on his deathbed in a coma – and claimed his heart was ‘strong’ after he underwent a routine neck surgery.
Hogan had also previously opened up about undergoing ’25 surgeries in the past decade.’
Hogan is survived by his third wife Daily, who he wed in 2023, children Brooke and Nick, who he shared with first wife Linda Claridge, and two grandchildren.
In the 1980s, Hogan – known for his signature mustache and headscarf – was the driving force behind WWE’s rise from a regional promotion around New York to an international brand.
Hogan kickstarted ‘Hulkamania’ after defeating the Iron Sheik for the World Heavyweight Championship in 1984.
He won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
Hogan was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even company chairman Vince McMahon.
Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, Hogan Knows Best.
Hogan´s public persona transcended the ring, making him a household name. He appeared in numerous movies – including the third Rocky film in 1982, where he played wrestler Thunderlips, who took on Stallone’s protagonist.
Hogan later claimed the role had got him fired from the WWF – saying: ‘Back then, ’78, ’79, if you were a wrestler, you didn’t do TV. You didn’t go do a movie.’
The star reportedly put three men in the hospital while filming his fight scene.
