POLITICS AND CONTROVERSY
Hogan was a vocal supporter of Donald Trump. In 2024, he appeared at the Republican National Convention and endorsed Trump’s re-election bid, ripping off his shirt to reveal a Trump tank top and shouting to the crowd: “Let Trumpamania run wild, brother!”
His career, however, was not without controversy.
In 2015, Hogan was suspended from WWE after a leaked recording revealed him using a racial slur. He was reinstated in 2018.
He also won a high-profile privacy lawsuit against gossip website Gawker after it published parts of a sex tape involving Hogan and a friend’s wife. The US$140 million judgment led to Gawker’s shutdown.
EARLY LIFE AND LEGACY
Hogan grew up in Florida and initially pursued music, playing bass in local rock bands before turning to wrestling in the 1970s. His stage name was partly inspired by the comic book character The Incredible Hulk, and his promoter added “Hogan” to appeal to Irish-American fans.
He gained attention in the 1980s with his “Hulkamania” persona, a clean-cut hero preaching vitamins and hard work. His signature moves, including the “atomic leg drop,” made him a household name.
Later in his career, he reinvented himself as “Hollywood Hogan”, the villainous leader of the New World Order in World Championship Wrestling, a shift that revitalised his popularity with older fans.
Hogan was married three times and had two children, who starred alongside him in the reality TV show Hogan Knows Best from 2005 to 2007.
He is survived by his children, Nick and Brooke.
