Children of the 1980s and ’90s who grew up with Hulk Hogan’s mantra to say prayers and take vitamins witnessed a very different side of the celebrated wrestler in his later years.
Hogan, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 71, faced numerous controversies in his later life, including a notorious sex-tape scandal and incidents where he was caught using racist language.
The magnetic Hogan — whose real name was Terry Bollea — was seen as a larger-than-life icon during his celebrated “Hulkamania” era in WWE, where he was pivotal in propelling the promotion to new levels of success.
Hogan served as the babyface in wrestling lingo designed to vanquish the villain, and his popularity allowed wrestling to cross into the pop culture lexicon and develop lasting power.
His early time in WWE — then known as WWF — saw him mired in a steroid scandal in which a doctor alleged he sold the Hulkster performance-enhancing drugs, but Hogan initially denied those claims.
Hogan left the company for a short time amid the drama, but later admitted he did take steroids.
That scandal didn’t hurt his popularity, especially after his role in creating the iconic NWO group, but the later scandals changed the public perception.
The tide started to change against Hogan in 2012 with the emergence of a 2006 sex tape featuring Hogan and Heather Clem, the wife of ex-friend and radio host, Bubba the Love Sponge.
Hogan, married at the time, said he did not know he was being filmed.
Gawker released a clip of the video, and Hogan then filed a lawsuit against both Bubba and Heather before he settled with Bubba later that year.
He later sued Gawker for $100 million for invasion of privacy and received $115 million in damages that later ballooned to $140 million before settling for $31 million.
The court battle led to Gawker filing for bankruptcy and being sold.
In 2015, video of him using racial slurs during a 2007 sex tape emerged in which he accused his daughter, Brooke, of sleeping with an African-American man and admitted to being “a little racist.”
“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,” Hogan said in the vieo.
“I guess we’re all a little racist. F–king n—-r.”
WWE fired Hogan for his actions, while he said he resigned, and he later apologized.
“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,” Hogan told People in a statement 10 years ago.
“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.”
WWE reinstated Hogan to its Hall of Fame three years later, and they have since honored him, including with an appearance on the Jan. 6, 2025 broadcast to usher in the Netflix era of “Raw.”
The Los Angeles crowd, largely due to these scandals that painted their childhood hero in a different light, viciously booed him.
He acknowledged his politics — he stumped for President Donald Trump at the 2024 Republican National Convention — and these incidents influence the crowd’s reaction.
“I think the politics had a whole lot to do with it, as you said,” Hogan said on “The Pat McAfee Show” in February.
