Hulk Hogan’s cause of death has been revealed.
Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, died of acute myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, Entertainment Weekly can confirm. According to medical records obtained by EW on Thursday, the former pro wrestler had a history of leukemia and atrial fibrillation, a common disorder that causes irregular heartbeats. The manner of death was ruled natural.
The New York Post was first to report Hogan’s cause of death.
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Hulk Hogan during a WWE match in 1991
Hogan’s cause of death was revealed exactly one week after the WWE legend died at his home in Clearwater, Fla., on July 24. He was 71.
Local authorities said paramedics were dispatched to Hogan’s residence early last Thursday and transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
“We are heartbroken,” Hogan’s manager, Linda Bose, said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. “He was such a great human being and friend.”
Hogan began his wrestling career in 1977 and gained wider global recognition after he signed with WWE in the early 1980s, ushering in a period referred to as Hulkamania. He was best known for his over-the-top showmanship, having adapted a charismatic, all-American persona that helped bring professional wrestling to the mainstream. Throughout his career, Hogan headlined the WWE’s flagship event WrestleMania eight times and has won the WWE championship six times.
Hogan retired from pro wrestling in 2012, by then already having parlayed his flare for the theatrics into the world of Hollywood. His first movie role was a cameo as a wrestler in Rocky III opposite Sylvester Stallone, which led to other features such as No Holds Barred, Suburban Commando, Mr. Nanny, and Santa with Muscles.
His career was also marked by several controversies, including admission of steroid use, a sex tape leak, and claims of infidelity. He also spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention in support of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, and, in a nod to a signature move while in the ring, ripped off his shirt to reveal a Trump/Vance tank top underneath.
Tributes from fellow WWE icons like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena, and Ric Flair came shortly after Hogan’s death was announced.
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Linda Hogan, Hulk Hogan, Brooke Hogan, and Nick Hogan in ‘Hogan Knows Best’
Hogan’s wife of two years, Sky Daily, shared a tribute for the wrestler a day after his death.
“I wasn’t ready for this…and my heart is in pieces,” she wrote. “He had been dealing with some health issues, but I truly believed we would overcome them. I had so much faith in his strength. I thought we still had more time.”
Daily noted that the loss was “sudden” and “impossible to process.” She continued, “To the world, he was a legend… but to me, he was my Terry,” Daily wrote. “The man I loved. My partner. My heart.”
“Hulk loved his fans so much and despite his growing physical discomfort, he did everything he could to show up, sign autographs, take photos, and connect with the people who supported him through it all,” she wrote. “You meant everything to him.”
Hogan was a “believer in Christ,” Daily continued, “and I take comfort knowing his soul is at peace and he’s been welcomed home.”
She asked that everyone “keep his family and all of us who loved him in your prayers as we try to navigate this new reality.”
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Along with Daily, Hogan is survived by his kids Brooke, 37, and Nick, who turned 35 on July 27. He shared them with Linda Hogan, to whom he was married from 1983 to 2009, which included his years on reality show Hogan Knows Best. He was married to Jennifer McDaniel from 2010 to 2021.
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