Hulk Hogan Sues Ex-Wife for Defamation, Denying Her Claims He Abused Her
Semiretired professional wrestler Hulk Hogan is suing his ex-wife for defamation, claiming she has falsely accused him of physically abusing her and of having homosexual encounters.
Hogan’s suit, filed Thursday in a Florida court, says ex-wife Linda Bollea’s false claims have harmed his reputation, exposed him to distrust, hatred, contempt and ridicule, and hurt his occupation and business, the St. Petersburg Times reported.
In her new book, Wrestling the Hulk—My Life Against the Ropes, Linda Bollea accuses her ex-husband, whose real name is Terry Bollea, of repeated acts of physical abuse, including choking her, tearing her shirt, holding her down on the bed with his hands around her throat and dragging her by the hair.
“I was always afraid he would kill me in one of his rages,” she wrote.
Linda Bollea has also suggested in interviews promoting the book that Hogan had a sexual relationship with another professional wrestler, Brutus Beefcake, the suit alleges.
Hogan’s lawyer, Wil Florin, said Linda Bollea has accused her ex-husband of “all sorts of vile conduct that he did not commit.”
“Miss Bollea’s made enough of these outrageous allegations that it’s time they stop,” Florin said. “The only realistic way of making them stop is through the court system.”
The couple, who were married for 24 years, split in 2009. Linda Bollea’s divorce lawyer could not be reached for comment.
Hogan is no stranger to litigation. Last year, he sued Post Foods, alleging that the company misappropriated his likeness in an ad for Cocoa Pebbles. In 2009, he sued two lawyers who defended his son, Nick, in an auto accident case.
