Terry ‘Hulk Hogan’ Bollea Dies At 71: Behind The Fame, The Facts You May Not Know
Terry Gene Bollea, known professionally as Hulk Hogan, died on July 24, 2025, at the age of 71 following cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida.
His death occurred one month after undergoing spinal fusion surgery. Emergency personnel responded to his residence and transported him by ambulance, though efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. His wife, Sky Bollea, stated publicly that the surgery was not connected to a more serious health condition.
Bollea was born on August 11, 1953, in Augusta, Georgia, to Pietro “Peter” Bollea, a construction foreman, and Ruth Moody, a homemaker and dance teacher. He was of Italian, Panamanian, Scottish, and French descent, with his paternal grandfather immigrating from Cigliano in Italy’s Piedmont region.
Beginning his professional wrestling career in 1977, Bollea gained widespread recognition after joining the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in December 1983.
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Promoted as a heroic, all-American figure, his character played a central role in ushering in the 1980s professional wrestling boom. He was heavily featured in Vince McMahon’s national expansion of WWF and the “Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection” with MTV.
He headlined eight of the first nine WrestleMania events and became a five-time WWF Champion during his initial run, holding the title for a then-record 1,474 days. He was the first wrestler to win back-to-back Royal Rumble matches (1990 and 1991) and was involved in the highest-rated wrestling match in American television history — his bout with André the Giant on The Main Event (1988), which drew 33 million viewers.
In the 1990s, Bollea transitioned to World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he became a six-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion. His villainous turn and leadership of the New World Order (nWo) faction were considered pivotal to WCW’s popularity during the “Monday Night Wars” era. He continued wrestling sporadically into the 2000s and made multiple returns to WWE.
Outside the ring, Bollea pursued an entertainment career. He appeared as Thunderlips in Rocky III (1982), starred in films such as Suburban Commando (1991), Mr. Nanny (1993), Santa with Muscles (1996), and 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998), and led a short-lived television series, Thunder in Paradise (1994). He released a music album, Hulk Rules, in 1995, which peaked at No. 12 on Billboard’s Top Kid Audio chart. In 2011, he voiced a character in Saints Row: The Third and launched a video game titled Hulk Hogan’s Main Event.
From 2005 to 2007, Bollea and his family were featured in the VH1 reality show Hogan Knows Best. A spin-off focusing on his daughter, Brooke Knows Best, aired in 2008.
Bollea’s public image was marred by a series of personal controversies. In 2015, the National Enquirer and Radar Online published a leaked 2007 sex tape in which Bollea made racially offensive comments, including repeated use of the N-word while discussing his daughter’s romantic relationships.
In the same tape, he stated, “I mean, I am a racist, to a point.” Following widespread backlash, WWE terminated his contract and removed all references to him from its platforms.
In response to the scandal, Bollea apologised, describing his language as “offensive and inconsistent with [his] own beliefs.” Several former colleagues had differing reactions.
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Wrestlers such as Virgil, Dennis Rodman, and Kamala offered public support, whereas WWE performers Mark Henry and Booker T criticised his comments and supported WWE’s decision to sever ties.
Bollea was also accused of frequently embellishing or fabricating parts of his personal history, including claims that MLB scouts recruited him, played in the Little League World Series, was scouted by Metallica and The Rolling Stones for their bands, and that he was offered the lead role in The Wrestler (2008). These claims were largely unsubstantiated.
In 2013, he filed a $50 million lawsuit against the Laser Spine Institute, alleging medical malpractice after undergoing six spinal surgeries that he claimed worsened his condition.
The Institute had featured him in an advertisement, allegedly without his permission. His spinal health issues persisted throughout his retirement and remained a serious concern in his final years.
Bollea married Linda Claridge in 1983, with whom he had two children, Brooke and Nick. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2009 following public allegations of infidelity, including a reported affair with Christiane Plante, a former friend of their daughter.
In interviews during the latter part of his life, Bollea stated that he had returned to his Christian faith, saying he was saved at age 14 and had relied on religion to avoid personal collapse. On December 20, 2023, he was baptised at Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Largo, Florida.
Bollea received several honours in his lifetime, including being named King of the Krewe of Bacchus at the 2008 Mardi Gras in New Orleans. He was a frequent participant in Make-A-Wish Foundation activities, fulfilling numerous wish requests from terminally ill children.
