Hulk Hogan’s ex-wife, Linda Hogan, is criticizing the 2025 Emmy Awards for omitting the late wrestler from its “In Memoriam” segment.
Linda, 66, suggested to Entertainment Weekly in a story published on Monday, September 15, that Hulk (real name: Terry Bollea) did not make the cut because of his political views.
“I can’t prove that,” she acknowledged of the smooth-running Emmys telecast, which was hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, who avoids talking politics. “It’s just a guess, but they should have named him!”
Linda, who was married to Hulk from 1983 to 2009, added, “WWF at the top of the hour when he came on to wrestle…[Hulk] had the highest ratings on NBC, beating all other competition for that time slot for years!”
The Emmys, which took place on Sunday, September 14, omitted other stars during “In Memoriam” including Jerry Adler, Danielle Spencer, Jonathan Joss and Terence Stamp. Additionally, the live tribute — which accompanied a performance by country singers Vince Gill and Lainey Wilson — did not mention Gene Hackman and Val Kilmer, though their names were included with Hulk’s as part of a longer dedication on the Emmys’ website.
Hulk died in July at age 71 after suffering cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida. Us Weekly later confirmed that the former wrestler died from acute myocardial infarction.
Hulk was most famous for his time with WWE and World Championship Wrestling, and became the first wrestler to score consecutive Royal Rumble matches. He was also seen on TV in the shows Hogan Knows Best, Thunder in Paradise, and The Goldbergs, and in movies including Rocky III, Gremlins 2: The New Batch and Muppets from Space.
Hulk and Linda shared two children: Brooke, 37, and Nick, 35. As Us first reported, Nick filed court documents earlier this month to be named coadministrator of his late father’s estate. Brooke, who had asked to be removed from his will before his death, was not named as a beneficiary to the estate.
“His decision is no surprise to me,” Brooke told TMZ on September 11. “It’s what I asked for, I stand by it with no regrets.”
She added, “My dad knows I’m a hard worker and I have been surviving without his money for a long, long time.”
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