Hulk Hogan’s Secret Health Battle Revealed One Week After His Tragic Death originally appeared on Parade.
Despite his mega fame, Hulk Hogan suffered from a disease that he kept hidden from the public.
On July 31, Page Sixreported that the acclaimed wrestler and media personality had a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to the Pinellas County Forensic Science Center.
Per the outlet, the documents also noted the WWE legend’s history of atrial fibrillation (AFib) and listed his cause of death as acute myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack.
CLL affects white blood cells called lymphocytes, mainly impacting the bone marrow and blood.
AFib is common heart rhythm disorder where the heart’s upper chambers (atria) beat irregularly and rapidly. This condition can cause blood clots in the heart and heightens the risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications, per Mayo Clinic.
Hogan—whose real name was Terry Gene Bollea—tragically died at age 71 on July 24 after going into cardiac arrest at his home in Clear Water Beach, Florida. He was taken by ambulance to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The megastar had an illustrious career, having won six WWE Championships and starring in films like Rocky III and Suburban Commando.
WWE’s website credits Hogan as “the key figure in WWE’s rise from regional attraction to worldwide entertainment leader in the 1980s” and says his “superhuman size and undeniable charisma set the standard for what a Superstar should be.”
Many celebrities have honored the two-time WWE Hall of Fame inductee after his death, including WWE stars John Cena and Rick Flair.
In an interview with People, Flair, 76, called Hogan “a great man.”
Flair—who had 32 matches with Hogan—continued, “He was beyond kind and generous to a fault. He was just the greatest.”
Superstar Hogan was the type of guy you could become “extremely jealous of,” he added.
“I loved working with him. It was my pleasure and my privilege.”
Cena, 48, honored the late icon with an Instagram post featuring a photo of Hogan in the wrestling ring.
Hogan is survived by his children Brooke and Nick Hogan, and his wife SkyDaily.
He was previously married to Linda Hogan from 1983 to 2009 and to Jennifer McDaniel from 2010 to 2021.
Hulk Hogan’s Secret Health Battle Revealed One Week After His Tragic Death first appeared on Parade on Jul 31, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
