Hulk Hogan wasn’t just a wrestler; he was an American icon. With his bleached mustache, bandana, and larger-than-life persona, he turned professional wrestling into a global spectacle. But behind the “Hulkamania” frenzy was a man whose private words would later explode into public disgrace. In 2015, a leaked audio tape revealed Hogan spewing racist slurs in a conversation about his daughter dating a Black man.
The fallout was brutal: WWE scrubbed him from their history, fans turned on him, and his reputation never fully recovered. Now, in the wake of his death on July 24, 2025, the controversy is back in the spotlight, forcing wrestling fans to grapple with the ugly side of a man they once idolized.
What Did Hulk Hogan Actually Say?
The rant that ended Hogan’s WWE career wasn’t just a slip-up, it was a full-blown, hate-filled tirade. The audio, recorded in 2007 but leaked in 2015, captured Hogan (real name Terry Bollea) raging about his daughter Brooke’s relationship with a Black man. He dropped the N-word multiple times, saying things like, “I guess we’re all a little racist. F*****g n*****s.” At one point, he even mused that if Brooke had to date a Black man, he’d prefer it be a wealthy athlete, revealing a layer of classism mixed with his racism.
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But the worst part? This wasn’t some heat-of-the-moment outburst. Hogan doubled down in the same conversation, admitting, “I am a racist, to a point.” That line alone made it impossible for WWE to ignore. The company, which had built Hogan into a hero for decades, immediately cut ties, erased him from their website, and even removed his Hall of Fame profile (though he was later reinstated in 2018).
Hulk Hogan passed away on the 10 year anniversary of his racist recordings being published. pic.twitter.com/HLyz0d3YkR
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) July 24, 2025
Hogan’s apology tour was… messy. He told People magazine he was “disappointed” in himself and claimed the language didn’t reflect who he really was. In a cringeworthy ABC News interview, he blamed his upbringing in a “rough” Tampa neighborhood, saying the N-word was just part of the local slang. “People need to realize you inherit things from your environment,” he said, as if racism were some kind of genetic trait rather than a choice. Fans weren’t buying it. Many saw his apology as damage control, especially since, years later, he was still getting booed at WWE events.
The Aftermath: A Legacy Forever Stained
Hogan’s racist rant didn’t just cost him his WWE contract; it reshaped how people saw him. Before the scandal, he was the ultimate good guy: the superhero who told kids to “say their prayers and eat their vitamins.” After? He became a symbol of wrestling’s hypocrisy, a man who preached positivity but harbored bigotry. Even his 2025 death hasn’t erased that stain. Tributes poured in from fellow wrestlers like Ric Flair, but social media debates still rage over whether he deserves to be mourned as a hero.
The scandal also exposed WWE’s shaky moral compass. They fired Hogan swiftly in 2015, but by 2018, they quietly welcomed him back into the Hall of Fame, citing his “apologies” and work with youth charities. Critics called it a hollow PR move, especially since Hogan never truly addressed the deeper issues behind his words. Even in his final WWE appearance earlier this year, fans drowned him out with boos, proving that forgiveness wasn’t as easy as a scripted comeback.
So, was Hulk Hogan racist? The tape leaves little room for doubt. His words weren’t just offensive; they revealed a mindset that saw Black people as lesser. And while he spent years trying to rehab his image, the damage was done. Ultimately, Hogan’s legacy isn’t just about body-slams and championship belts, it’s also about the ugly truth that even heroes can hide hate behind a smile.
