Hulk Hogan Laid to Rest After Private Funeral in Florida

Hulk Hogan Laid to Rest After Private Funeral in Florida

E! News·2025-08-06 10:01

Those close to Hulk Hogan have said their goodbyes.

The pro wrestler (real name Terry Gene Bollea), who died of a heart attack on July 24 at the age of 71, was laid to rest in Clearwater, Fla. on Aug. 5, according to multipleoutlets

The services took place at the Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park & Funeral Home, with photos from the funeral, obtained by People, showing men in black suits and orange boutonnières carrying Hulk’s casket into the funeral home.

Kid Rock, TripleH and Theo Von were all spotted flying into Clearwater ahead of the memorial, according to TMZ. Plus, former WWE co-CEO StephanieMcMahon was also in attendance. It is not known if any of Hulk’s family—including widow SkyDaily, ex-wife Linda Hogan or son Nick Hogan—attended the event.

While the WWE legend’s death came as a surprise to many around him, his medical records, obtained by E! News, noted that he had a history of atrial fibrillation as well as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). This type of leukemia is labeled chronic, according to the Mayo Clinic, due to its slow progression and often only requires treatment months or years after diagnosis. 

Shortly after his passing, Sky—who married the wrestling star in 2023—shared a heartbreaking tribute, writing on Instagram, “I wasn’t ready for this… and my heart is in pieces.”

“He had been dealing with some health issues,” the 46-year-old continued, “but I truly believed we would overcome them. I had so much faith in his strength. I thought we still had more time. This loss is sudden and impossible to process. To the world, he was a legend… but to me, he was my Terry. The man I loved. My partner. My heart."

As for Linda—who was married to Hulk for 26 years until their 2009 divorce—she said in an Instagram comment, “I had no idea he would pass away this soon. We all really thought he would make a come back! Big surprise. We are all devastated. It’s hitting me so hard.”

She added, "I’ve been weeping all day. The finality. It’s just shocking. We spent every minute together for so many years. I’ve known him since he was 28 yrs old! I was 22. I still love him.”

And while Nick was present for the WWE’s tribute to his father at SummerSlam 2025, his sister Brooke Hogan recently shared that she and her father were estranged prior to his death.

“We never had a ‘big fight.’ My father and I never ‘fought,’” the 37-year-old wrote on Instagram July 29. “It was a series of private phone calls no one will ever hear, know, or understand.”

And the former reality star has also raised some questions about her father’s death.

“It's weird that no autopsy was performed,” she said during an Aug. 5 interview with Bubba the Love Sponge. “Because yes, you can have a heart attack, but what was the reason for the heart attack is the question.”

Brooke also added that she wasn’t aware of Hulk’s cancer diagnosis, wondering how that could have been missed during Hulk’s multiple surgeries over the years. 

“That's what has me puzzled,” she said, “because they're saying, ‘Oh, he had leukemia.’ And I saw his blood work every time. One doctor, I quote, said his blood is like a 25-year-old’s. I mean, he took the most care of his body. He was going to an anti-aging specialist and also, just being through all the surgeries, you have to do a blood panel before any major surgery. How did nobody catch a high white blood cell count?”

Brooke continued, “That's what bothers me the most. And I'm like, we don't have cancer that runs in our family. It just seems weird.”

Keep reading for a look at Hulk and his family over the years.

Nick Hogan and Brooke Hogan may have, at times, publicly wrestled with their relationship with dad Hulk Hogan (with them in New York City in 1989), but there's no dobut he was an icon in the wrestling community. 

As Nick put it during a 2018 chat with TMZ, "Physically, he's insane." 

Though actress and producer Brooke remained tight with her dad for years, she revealed in 2023 why she didn't attend her father's wedding to third wife Sky Daily, writing on Instagram, "For my own journey to healing and happiness, I have chosen to create some distance between myself and my family, and am focusing on people and things that heal my heart and align with my own personal beliefs, goals, and values."

Following the debut of their VH1 series Hogan Knows Best, Nick, Brooke, Linda and Hulk worked the carpet at the August 2005 MTV Video Music Awards. 

Nick, Hulk and his then-wife Linda Hogan all turned up to watch Brook sign copies of her disc Undiscovered in October 2006.

Amid their two-year Hogan Knows Best run, the fam stepped out for VH1's Big in '06 fete. 

The family (at a June 2007 Father of the Year luncheon) began to fracture following Hulk (born Terry Gene Bollea) and Linda's 2009 split. With Brooke welcoming twins Oliver and Molly with hockey player husband Steven Oleksy, she "doesn't talk to us," Linda revealed in a video shared to her Instagram Stories in March 2025. “She's had twins. She got married, she didn't tell us… She had a huge fight with Terry. I don't know how that reflected onto me, but she cut me out too."

Staying largely out of his sister's feud with their parents, Nick (at a 2010 Comedy Central Roast) is "still such a good boy," Linda shared in her March 2025 Instagram Stories admission. 

Following a 12-year union with Jennifer McDaniel, Hulk began dating yoga instructor Sky Daily in 2022 after they met at a Bret Michaels concert. They walked down the aisle in September 2023. 

Hulk made waves with his third bride Sky in a June 2023 Instagram snap. "Beach day with my Sky Baby," wrote the Florida-based athlete, "it always seems just perfect, like she’s always been here."

Smitten with Hulk (at the Jake Paul vs Mike Perry fight in July 2024), when they met through friends, Sky has called him "the one I adore." 

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