It happened in the summer of 2015. One day, Hulk Hogan was the most iconic face in wrestling history; the next, he was basically a ghost. WWE scrubbed him from their website, removed his merchandise, and even yanked him from the Hall of Fame. It was a total "delete" of a forty-year career. All because of a leaked transcript.
People usually just call it the "Hogan scandal," but the details are actually way messier than most remember. It wasn't a hot mic at a show or a public meltdown. It was a private conversation from years earlier—2007, to be exact—that was secretly recorded.
The Leak That Almost Ended Hulkamania
Let’s be real: the context was ugly. The transcript, which first surfaced through The National Enquirer and RadarOnline, came from a sex tape involving Hogan and Heather Clem (the then-wife of his former friend, Bubba the Love Sponge). While the tape itself was already the subject of a massive lawsuit against Gawker, it was the audio of Hulk Hogan saying the n word that caused the real explosion.
In the recording, Terry Bollea (Hogan's real name) was venting about his daughter Brooke’s dating life. He didn't just slip up once. He went on a full-blown rant, using the slur multiple times and even admitting, "I guess we’re all a little racist."
It was a heavy blow for fans who grew up on "say your prayers and eat your vitamins."
The fallout was instant. WWE issued a statement saying they were committed to embracing individuals from all backgrounds. Then they fired him. Just like that. Hogan apologized, telling People magazine there was no excuse for it and that it wasn't "who he is." But the damage was done. For three years, the man who put WrestleMania on the map was persona non grata in the industry he helped build.
Why the Gawker Lawsuit Changed Everything
You can't talk about Hogan's racist comments without talking about Gawker. This is where the story gets into some wild legal territory. Hogan sued Gawker for $100 million for invasion of privacy because they posted a clip of the sex tape.
During the trial, things got surreal.
The defense argued the footage was "newsworthy." Hogan argued he was a private citizen in that bedroom, not the "Hulk Hogan" character. Eventually, a Florida jury awarded him a staggering $140 million. We later found out Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel was secretly funding Hogan's legal team because he had his own grudge against Gawker.
Gawker ended up filing for bankruptcy. They eventually settled with Hogan for $31 million in 2016. But even with a win in court, the public's perception of Hogan remained fractured.
The 2018 Reinstatement and the Backstage Tension
By 2018, WWE decided it was time for a "second chance." They reinstated Hogan into the Hall of Fame. They cited his "numerous public apologies" and his work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America as reasons for the return.
But not everyone was buying it.
When Hogan went backstage at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view to apologize to the locker room, the reaction was mixed. Honestly, "mixed" might be an understatement. While some veterans were happy to see him, a lot of the younger Black wrestlers weren't feeling it.
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The New Day—Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods—released a very blunt statement. They basically said they were "indifferent" to the reinstatement but found it difficult to forget the "hateful and violent utterances" he made. Titus O'Neil was even more direct. He called out the apology for lacking "true contrition" and noted that Hogan's main regret seemed to be that he was caught on camera, not necessarily that he held those views.
What Most People Get Wrong
A big misconception is that this was a "one-time" thing. In reality, once the Gawker transcripts broke the seal, other recordings started popping up. There was a 2008 prison phone call between Hogan and his son, Nick, where they also used racial slurs while talking about "reincarnation" and "becoming Black guys."
It painted a picture of a pattern rather than an isolated moment of anger.
WWE eventually brought him back as a "legend" host for big events like Crown Jewel and WrestleMania 37. At WrestleMania 37 in Tampa, he was actually booed by a significant portion of the crowd. It was a weird moment. Here was the hometown hero, the biggest star in the building, and the fans were letting him have it. It showed that for a lot of people, the "Hulkamania" brand was permanently stained.
Key Takeaways from the Scandal
- Context: The comments were recorded in 2007 but didn't go public until 2015.
- Legal: The fallout happened during the massive Gawker lawsuit, which Hogan won but at a high reputational cost.
- WWE Reaction: He was erased for three years (2015–2018) before being brought back.
- Peer Perspective: Many Black wrestlers, including The New Day and Titus O'Neil, voiced serious concerns about the sincerity of his apology.
Where Does the Legacy Stand?
Today, Hogan is back in the WWE fold, but he’s not the untouchable god he once was. He’s more of a complicated figure from a different era. Whether you believe in "cancel culture" or "consequence culture," his story is a massive case study in how a private moment can destroy a public legacy in seconds.
If you’re looking to understand the full impact, it’s worth watching the documentary Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press. It covers the Gawker trial in-depth and shows how the legal battle over those tapes changed media law forever. You can also look up the official statements from The New Day on social media to see the direct perspective of the athletes who had to share a locker room with him after his return. Understanding the nuance of the locker room reaction gives you a much better picture than just reading the corporate press releases.