Hulk Hogan, the towering figure who helped catapult professional wrestling into the mainstream, has died at the age of 71, his family confirmed to Us Weekly on Thursday.
The former WWE champion, born Terry Bollea, reportedly suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida, according to entertainment outlet TMZ.
With his handlebar moustache, bandana, and booming charisma, Hogan became one of the most recognisable names in sport during the 1980s and ’90s. His larger-than-life persona helped define wrestling’s golden era, drawing millions of fans to the WWE (then WWF) at its peak.
Outside the ring, Hogan was also a devoted family man. He had two children—daughter Brooke and son Nick—with his first wife, Linda Hogan. The pair were married for more than two decades before divorcing in 2009.
Their family life gained further attention in the mid-2000s through the VH1 reality show Hogan Knows Best, which offered a glimpse into their private lives and Hogan’s fiercely protective approach to fatherhood.
In 2010, Hogan married Jennifer McDaniel, though the union lasted only a year. He married again in September 2023, exchanging vows with Sky Daily in an intimate ceremony, also in Clearwater. Like Hogan, Daily had children from a previous relationship. Speaking to TMZ, Hogan said he “instantly fell in love with them.”
His daughter Brooke, born in Tampa in 1988, followed her father into the spotlight with a brief pop music career and appearances on reality TV. A talented performer from a young age, she trained in dance and gymnastics and graduated high school at just 16.
Hogan leaves behind a legacy that transcended wrestling—a symbol of pop culture whose presence loomed large across sports, television, and entertainment for more than four decades.
