It was an emotional evening in Largo, Florida, on Tuesday, August 5, when family and friends gathered to remember professional wrestler Hulk Hogan in a 90-minute funeral service at the Indian Rocks Baptist Church.
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, died at age 71 on July 24 after experiencing cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida.
His family sat front and center at the funeral, an insider exclusively tells Us Weekly on Wednesday, one day after the memorial service. Ex-wife Linda Hogan was visibly emotional and sat next to the couple’s son Nick and his wife. Hogan’s widow, Sky Daily and her three kids from a previous marriage were seated in the same row.
Hogan was married to Linda 65, from 1983 to 2009 and to Jennifer McDaniel from 2010 to 2021. He married Daily, 46, in 2023.
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The insider added there was no apparent awkwardness or drama between anyone present at the service, adding that the absence of Hogan’s daughter, Brooke Hogan, was not mentioned.
Brooke, 37, broke her silence on not attending her father’s funeral on Tuesday via Instagram, explaining that he “didn’t want one.”
“Although I know people grieve in many ways – and I’m so grateful for all celebrations and events organized to honor him, as his daughter, I had to make my own decision to honor him the best and most genuine way I knew how…privately…the way that made me feel the closest to him,” she wrote.
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The program for the funeral referred to the wrestler as Hogan when discussing his accomplishments in the ring and Terry when talking about the man who lived beyond the top rope.
“As a devoted family man, Terry cherished time with his loved ones,” the program read. “He was a proud father of Brooke and Nick, a stepfather to Maddox, Hayden and Leighton, and embraced his role as a loving husband to Sky.”
“Your spirit will forever be part of the wrestling world and your legacy of love, faith, and family will live on in the hearts of fans around the world,” it concluded.
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Nick, 35 spoke at the service, which was attended by an estimated 800 to 1,000 people, including WWE cofounder Vince McMahon and legendary wrestler Triple H. In his eulogy, Nick promised to always say his prayers and take his vitamins in honor of his father, calling Hogan a great dad and his hero.
McMahon, 79, also spoke, imploring the crowd to give the Pro Wrestling Hall of Famer one last round of applause, while Triple H, 56, revealed how Hogan was there for him in his toughest moments.
After the service, there was a reception at the church, then close friends gathered at his restaurant, Hogan’s Hang Out, in Clearwater, where memorial videos and montages played as guests drank until around 10:30 p.m.
