Hulk Hogan’s Life in Photos, from Wrestling Superstardom to Late-in-Life Controversies and Legal Battles

One of the world’s most famous wrestlers, Hulk Hogan, has died, the WWE confirmed. He was 71.

After making his televised wrestling debut in 1979, Hogan, born Terrence Gene Bollea, went on to reach WWE superstardom and is credited with helping make the company the global sensation it is today.

“WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,” they said in a statement to PEOPLE on July 24, after the news of his death was first reported by TMZ. “One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans.”

TMZ said medics were sent to Hogan’s home in Florida after he reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest and was taken out on a stretcher.

And while his career in wrestling has been deemed as one of the greatest, his life outside of the ring was not without its challenges and scandals. Read on to learn more about Hogan’s life and career following his death.

Hulk Hogan’s Early Life

Born Terrence Gene Bollea, Hulk Hogan was born on August 11, 1953 in Augusta, Ga. After being teased as a child, he found his people in high school, with a group of peers who shared a passion for wrestling.

Though he went to community college and studied business while working as a bank teller, Hogan ultimately followed his passion for wrestling and joined a wrestling gym where he began fighting under the names “Terry Boulder,” “Sterling Golden” and “The Super Destroyer.”

Hulk Hogan’s Rise to Fame

In the late 1970s he was given a contract to join World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and it was around that time that he became known as Terry ‘The Hulk’ Boulder.

The name Hulk Hogan came along when Vince McMahon Sr., — the founding father of the WWE — came up with a storyline for the young wrestler to act out in the ring and it involved him taking on the persona of a tough Irishman.

“Hulk Hogan” (seen here in the 1980s) made his professional wrestling debut in November 1979.

Hulk Hogan on the Big Screen

During his heyday, he made many appearances in pop culture, including 1982’s Rocky III with his friend  Sylvester Stallone.

“He threw the most amazing punches,” Stallone said of his friend’s first onscreen role. “Because he was bare-fisted, I could actually feel his punch touching my skin, yet he knew just when to pull back.”

Hulk Hogan’s Famous Opponents

Some of his famous opponents in the ring included André the Giant (seen here with Hogan during WrestleMania III in 1987) and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Hulk Hogan’s “Hulkmania”

Throughout his wrestling career, Hogan was a 12-time world champion and is credited with helping “WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s,” the company said in its statement following his death.

Hulk Hogan’s Family

Hogan married his first wife, Linda, in 1983. The couple welcomed their first child together, Brooke, in 1988 and later came their son, Nick, in 1990.

The family of four starred together on VH1’s reality series Hogan Knows Best from 2005 to 2007. Just after the show wrapped, Linda filed for divorce, citing the Hulk’s “infidelities,” including his affair with their then-teenage daughter’s close friend.

Hulk Hogan’s Controversies

More than three decades after receiving his first WWE contract, the company cut ties with him in 2015, removed him from their Hall of Fame and erased him from their website after an audio recording of the wrestler was released, in which he was heard using racist slurs. He later apologized for the incident.

“Eight years ago, I used offensive language during a conversation. It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language. There is no excuse for it, and I apologize for having done it,” Hogan said in a statement to PEOPLE at the time.

The incident was not the first time Hulk had found himself in the middle of a scandal as he’d previously been in legal trouble after a 1985 incident on Richard Belzer’s talk show where the wrestler put the actor in a choke hold, causing him to pass out and hit his head on the floor. Belzer sued and the two settled out of court.

Later, Hogan was involved in a sex tape scandal after Gawker Media published a short clip of a tape featuring him and Heather Clem, a friend’s former wife. Hogan sued Gawker and ultimately reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with the company, which led to Gawker’s bankruptcy.

In 2018, the WWE reinstated him in its Hall of Fame after several public apologies and volunteer work.

Hulk Hogan’s Ongoing Family Drama

Earlier this year, Linda opened up about her ex-husband, calling him a “good father” in an interview with TMZ not long after calling Hulk out on Instagram.

“I have to be honest about what I went through in my marriage. And what it entailed and what it [has] caused over the years,” she wrote in the social media post, later calling him “a complete liar” and “sex addict.”

As far as his relationship with his children, in the interview with TMZ, Linda spoke about her daughter’s decision to have no contact with either parent for what the mother of two called “bogus, selfish, childish reasons.”

In March, Brooke took to Instagram to explain why she stopped communicating with her parents: “This decision was made based purely on how they have each dealt with me directly my entire life.”

“I have been EXTREMELY verbally and mentally abused since childhood,” Brooke alleged. “Sadly, it would frequently turn physical. And sometimes it’s not by the person you would assume, abuse comes in all shapes and sizes.”

Hulk Hogan’s Marriage to Sky Daily Hogan

Following his divorce from Linda, Hogan married Jennifer McDaniel in 2010, though the two separated a year later.

In 2023, Hogan married his third wife, Sky Daily, just two months after announcing their engagement.

Hulk Hogan’s Recent Years

Later in life, Hogan seemed to turn toward religion and was baptized alongside his wife Sky in 2023.

That year, he also shared that he hadn’t had alcohol in six months: “It got to be a way to numb me a little bit, because I had a bunch of crazy business problems and personal stuff going on,” he told Men’s Health.

“And I caught myself after I would train, getting too aggressive with alcohol,” he added. “So I just had to stop it.”

More recently, Hogan had reemerged into the spotlight, receiving major backlash for his support for controversial U.S. President Donald Trump during his campaign. In 2024, Hogan appeared alongside Trump at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, telling the crowd that “America’s gonna start winning again” after the 79-year-old was re-elected president that November.

In January this year, the wrestler appeared on WWE Raw for the show’s Netflix debut.  While the cameo was intended to also promote his newly launched American Beer — a brand touted by Trump — Hogan was met with loud boos as he entered the venue.

Read the original article on People