Hulk Hogan, one of the most influential figures in pro wrestling history, died at his Clearwater, Florida home on Thursday. He was 71.
His manager, Chris Volo, confirmed that Hogan passed away surrounded by family according to NBC Los Angeles. According to the City of Clearwater, emergency crews responded at 9:51 a.m. to a cardiac arrest call and found him unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Born Terry Bollea, Hogan became a global star in the 1980s as the face of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He headlined the first WrestleMania in 1985, won six WWE championships, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
WWE called him “one of pop culture’s most recognizable figures” and credited him with expanding the company’s international reach. Fellow wrestling icon Ric Flair said he was “absolutely shocked” by the death of his “close friend.”
Hogan’s fame extended beyond the ring through TV shows, movies, and the VH1 reality series “Hogan Knows Best.” But his later years were marked by controversy.
In 2013, he sued Gawker Media for publishing part of a sex tape involving him and Heather Cole, the former wife of radio host Bubba the Love Sponge Clem. A jury awarded him $140 million for invasion of privacy. The case later settled for $31 million, and Gawker shut down after filing for bankruptcy.
In 2015, WWE cut ties with Hogan after a leaked audio recording revealed him using racial slurs. He was removed from its website and Hall of Fame. Hogan later said the fallout “devastated” him. WWE reinstated him in 2018, citing his public apologies and community work with youth.
Hogan is survived by his former wife Linda Bollea, daughter Brooke Hogan, 37, and son Nick Hogan, 34.
