Florida’s CLEARWATER BEACH – Terry Gene Bollea, better known as Hulk Hogan, died on Thursday morning at the age of 71. TMZ, an entertainment news site, was the first to disclose his death. They said that emergency personnel were called to Hogan’s home in Clearwater Beach, Florida, early Thursday morning because of a “cardiac arrest” scenario. Major Nate Burnside of the Clearwater Police Department said that Hogan died at a local hospital at 11:17 a.m. Eastern Time. Authorities have formally ruled out foul involvement and said that cardiac arrest was the cause of death.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump paid a poignant homage to his “great friend” and long-time supporter, noting how devoted the wrestling star was and how much he affected culture.
Trump posted on Truth Social, “We lost a great friend today, the ‘Hulkster.'” “Hulk Hogan was all about MAGA: strong, tough, smart, and with the biggest heart.”
Hogan was an outspoken and enthusiastic supporter of President Trump. He campaigned for Trump and Vice President JD Vance at different times leading up to the 2024 U.S. election. Trump notably remembered Hogan’s speech at the Republican National Convention in July 2024, when the party officially backed Trump as their nominee for president.
“He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, that was one of the highlights of the entire week,” Trump said in his praise. “He made people all across the world laugh and had a huge impact on culture. We send our best wishes and love to his wife, Sky, and his family. We shall miss Hulk Hogan very much!
TMZ got video from paparazzi of the event at Hogan’s house. It shows medics and emergency personnel trying to bring him back to life before he was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Reports say that emergency responders got there around 9:51 a.m. on Thursday.
Hulk Hogan died just a few weeks after his wife, Sky, publicly disputed claims that his health was getting worse. She said that his heart was “strong” after a major heart surgery in June. Hogan had also been in the hospital earlier this year for long-term neck and back problems. He had more than 25 surgeries in his life, probably because of his tough wrestling profession.
Terry Gene Bollea was born on August 11, 1952, in Augusta, Georgia. As Hulk Hogan, he became a worldwide sensation and spearheaded the “Hulkamania” era, which made professional wrestling a part of mainstream pop culture in the 1980s. Hogan was the main event at eight of the first nine WrestleManias. He is a two-time WWE Hall of Famer and a 12-time world champion. He had known Trump for more than 35 years, and Trump saw him win Wrestlemania IV at Trump Plaza in 1988. Even in his last months, Hogan kept supporting Trump. For example, on Inauguration Day in January, he and the president promoted Hogan’s “Real American” beer brand.
His official cause of death is cardiac arrest. Tributes have come in from all across the wrestling and entertainment worlds, as well as from the political world, lamenting the loss of one of the most well-known and important figures in modern pop culture.