He was the face of the 1980s. If you grew up then, you couldn't escape the yellow spandex, the 24-inch pythons, or the booming voice telling you to eat your vitamins. But when people ask today what did Hulk Hogan do, they aren't usually asking about his leg drop or his matches with Andre the Giant. They’re asking about the mess. The scandals. The courtrooms. The things that almost erased him from history.
It's a weird legacy.
Terry Bollea—the man behind the bandana—built a billion-dollar industry on his back and then nearly tore it all down with a series of personal and public collapses. You’ve got the wrestling peak, the reality TV downfall, and that massive Gawker lawsuit that changed how the internet works. It’s a lot to process. Honestly, it's a story of a guy who couldn't figure out where the character ended and the real person began.
The Night the World Changed: The Heel Turn
Most people remember the hero. But if you want to understand the impact of his career, you have to look at 1996. At the time, Hogan’s act was getting stale. The red and yellow "Real American" thing felt like a relic. So, at Bash at the Beach, he did the unthinkable. He betrayed WCW and joined the New World Order (nWo).
He became "Hollywood" Hogan.
It wasn't just a plot twist. It changed the business. It made wrestling edgy and "cool" for adults again, leading directly to the Monday Night Wars. Without that move, we probably don't get the "Attitude Era" or Stone Cold Steve Austin. He proved he could reinvent himself. But while his professional life was hitting a second peak, his personal life was starting to fray in ways the public wouldn't see for a decade.
The Gawker Scandal and the Tape
This is the big one. This is usually what people mean when they ask what did Hulk Hogan do in a modern context. In 2012, the website Gawker published a snippet of a sex tape featuring Hogan and Heather Clem, the then-wife of his former best friend, Bubba the Love Sponge.
It was a nightmare.
Hogan sued Gawker for invasion of privacy. But it wasn't just a simple lawsuit about a video. It turned into a proxy war for the First Amendment. Behind the scenes, billionaire Peter Thiel was secretly funding Hogan’s legal team because he had his own grudge against Gawker.
In 2016, a jury awarded Hogan $140 million. It effectively killed Gawker. It was a landmark case that proved even "un-killable" media outlets could be taken down if someone with enough money backed a plaintiff. It changed how digital journalism operates. But during the discovery process of that legal battle, something much worse for Hogan’s reputation came out.
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The Racial Slurs and the WWE Ban
While the world was focused on the privacy aspect of the tape, a transcript surfaced from a different recording. In it, Hogan used horrific racial slurs while discussing his daughter Brooke's dating life. The backlash was instant. It wasn't just "cancel culture" in the modern sense; it was a total scrubbing of his existence.
WWE fired him. They removed him from the Hall of Fame. They pulled his merchandise. They acted like he never existed.
For a few years, the biggest name in wrestling history was a ghost. He apologized, of course. He went on Good Morning America and talked about being in a dark place. He claimed that wasn't "who he was." But for many fans, especially Black fans who grew up idolizing the "Hulkster," the damage was permanent. You can't just un-hear that.
He was eventually reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018. The company said he had spent time trying to learn from his mistakes. Some fans cheered; others booed. It remains one of the most polarizing returns in sports entertainment history. Even now, when he shows up at a show, the vibe is... complicated.
The Steroid Trials of the 1990s
We can't forget the 1994 federal trial. The U.S. government went after Vince McMahon, alleging he distributed steroids to his wrestlers. Hogan was the star witness.
He admitted to using steroids for 14 years. He said he used them to get big, to heal faster, and to keep up the "Hulk Hogan" look. This was a massive blow to his "Eat your vitamins" image. He claimed he believed it was legal at the time because he had a prescription, but the curtain was pulled back. The "superhero" was human, and he was chemically enhanced.
The Reality TV Curse
Before the Gawker stuff, there was Hogan Knows Best. It was one of those mid-2000s VH1 reality shows. On the surface, it was a goofy show about a protective dad. In reality, it documented the total collapse of his family.
- The Divorce: Linda Hogan filed for divorce in 2007, which reportedly blindsided Terry. It turned into a nasty, public legal battle over assets.
- Nick’s Accident: His son, Nick, was involved in a serious car crash that left his friend, John Graziano, with permanent brain damage. Nick served jail time. The recordings of jailhouse phone calls between Terry and Nick were leaked, and they didn't make either of them look particularly sympathetic.
- The Financial Hit: Between the divorce and the legal fees, Hogan reportedly lost a massive chunk of his $30 million fortune.
He was broke, or close to it. This is why the Gawker settlement was so significant. It wasn't just about "winning"; it was about financial survival for a man who had spent his way into a corner.
The Political Turn and 2024
If you haven't been following the news lately, you might have missed his recent foray into politics. At the 2024 Republican National Convention, Hogan took the stage and literally ripped his shirt off. He endorsed Donald Trump, calling him a "hero."
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This wasn't entirely surprising—Hogan has always leaned conservative—but it solidified his status as a divisive cultural figure. He leaned back into the "Hulk" persona to deliver a political speech. For some, it was a nostalgic throwback. For others, it was a reminder of why they stopped being fans.
It’s interesting. Hogan seems to thrive in the "us vs. them" mentality. Whether it’s the nWo or a political stage, he knows how to work a crowd. He knows how to create a "heel" and a "face."
What Did Hulk Hogan Do to the Wrestling Business?
Despite the personal failings, you can't talk about what did Hulk Hogan do without acknowledging that he basically invented the modern sports-entertainment model.
Before him, wrestling was a regional, territory-based business. It was gritty, smoke-filled, and small-scale. Hogan was the catalyst for the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection." He brought in Cyndi Lauper and Mr. T. He made it mainstream. He was the reason WrestleMania became a thing.
He also reportedly held people down. Ask wrestlers from that era like Jesse Ventura or Bret Hart, and they’ll tell you Hogan was a master of "backstage politics." He had a "Creative Control" clause in his WCW contract, which meant he could refuse to lose a match if he didn't feel like it. He protected his brand at all costs, sometimes at the expense of younger talent who deserved a shot.
The Health Toll
He's a physical wreck now. That's the part people don't see on TV.
Hogan has had over 25 surgeries. His back is fused. His knees are shot. He’s talked about how the "Leg Drop"—his finishing move where he jumps and lands on his hip—eventually destroyed his spine. He's several inches shorter than he was in the 80s because his vertebrae have been compressed and operated on so many times.
It’s a cautionary tale. He traded his long-term physical health for a decade of being the biggest star on the planet. When you see him walking today, he has a heavy limp. He’s in constant pain.
Fact-Checking the Myths
There are a lot of "Hogan Stories" out there that are just flat-out lies he’s told over the years. He’s a "worker"—wrestling slang for someone who blurs reality to make a better story.
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- The Elvis Myth: Hogan has claimed he was asked to play bass for Metallica and that Elvis Presley was a fan of his. Elvis died in 1977; Hogan’s career didn't really start until the late 70s and he wasn't a star until the 80s.
- The 400 Days a Year: He famously claimed he wrestled 400 days a year because he flew back and forth across the International Date Line. The math doesn't work.
- George Foreman Grill: He claims he was offered the Foreman Grill first but missed the phone call, so he ended up with a meatball maker instead. This is widely considered a tall tale.
This is part of the "Hulk" package. He’s a storyteller. Sometimes the stories are true, and sometimes they’re just "good for business."
The Current State of the Hulkster
Today, Hogan spends most of his time in Clearwater, Florida. He owns "Hogan’s Hangout," a beach bar where he often shows up to karaoke or greet fans. He’s remarried. He seems to have found some level of peace, or at least a stable routine.
He’s launched a "Real American Beer" brand recently, trying to capitalize on his brand one more time. He’s still doing the "Hulk" thing because, at 70+ years old, what else is he going to do? He is a prisoner of his own creation.
So, what did Hulk Hogan do?
He built an empire. He lied to his fans. He used steroids. He saved his career by becoming a villain. He sued a media giant into bankruptcy. He said things he shouldn't have said. He ripped his shirt off a thousand times.
He’s a complicated, flawed, legendary, and frustrating human being. He represents the highest highs of American celebrity and the lowest lows of public disgrace. You can't write the history of pop culture without him, but you also can't write it without the asterisks next to his name.
How to Process the Legacy of Hulk Hogan
If you’re looking to understand the man behind the myth, here are the best ways to actually dig into the facts:
- Watch 'Hulk Hogan's Unreleased Collector's Series': It shows the work ethic that built the brand before the scandals took over.
- Read 'Conspiracy' by Ryan Holiday: This book gives the most accurate, deep-dive account of the Gawker lawsuit and the Peter Thiel connection. It’s better than any documentary on the subject.
- Listen to the '83 Weeks' Podcast: Eric Bischoff (who ran WCW) breaks down the reality of Hogan’s "Creative Control" and the business decisions of the 90s.
- Separate the Art from the Artist: It’s okay to enjoy the 1987 match against Andre the Giant while acknowledging that the man who performed it has made massive mistakes.
Hogan is the ultimate example of why we shouldn't hero-worship celebrities. They’re just people, usually with bigger egos and more opportunities to mess up than the rest of us. He's a reminder that even the most "Real American" heroes have a lot of baggage in the closet.