Bubba the Love Sponge Regrets Rift After Hulk Hogan’s Death: ‘It Was Mostly My Fault’ originally appeared on Parade.
Hulk Hogan’s former friend, Todd Alan Clem (who now goes by Bubba the Love Sponge), has spoken out following the wrestling icon’s untimely death and admitted he has regrets about their falling out.
“I’m heartbroken to hear of Terry’s passing. As everyone knows we had our issues and those issues were mostly my fault,” Clem said in a statement to TMZ on July 24. “I loved him as a friend while he was with us, and will continue to love his memory as a friend going forward.”
He continued, “I’m saddened that I will never be able to tell him how sorry I am for the way I handled things that created the rift between us. I miss my friend and hope he rests in peace.”
Clem and the iconic wrestler first connected when Clem was hosting a radio show in Tampa, Florida, near Hogan’s home. The two ran in similar circles, and Hogan eventually began making appearances on Clem’s show. Over time, they grew close, and Hogan served as best man at Clem’s wedding in 2007.
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Their friendship fell apart in 2012 when a sex tape featuring Hogan and Clem’s then-wife, Heather, was leaked online. Hogan alleged that the encounter had been recorded without his consent. Clem later publicly admitted that Hogan had no knowledge of the recording.
“After further investigation, I am now convinced that Hulk Hogan was unaware of the presence of the recording device in my bedroom. I am convinced he had no knowledge that he was being taped. Additionally, I am certain that he had no role in the release of the video,” Clem said in a statement on his radio show in October 2012. “It is my belief that Terry is not involved, and has not ever been involved, in trying to release the video, or exploit it, or otherwise gain from the video’s release in any way.”
Following the leak, Hogan sued Gawker, the site that published the footage. In 2016, a jury awarded him $115 million in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages.
Bubba the Love Sponge Regrets Rift After Hulk Hogan’s Death: ‘It Was Mostly My Fault’ first appeared on Parade on Jul 24, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
