Late yesterday, news broke that something bad was about to come out about wrestler Hulk Hogan, and that this unspecified something – probably a racist rant, because it’s almost always that – was so bad that the WWE had pre-emptively cut all ties with him.
If you did indeed have ‘racist rant’ in your office’s ‘What Did Hulk Hogan Do?’ betting pool, well, you’ve just won yourself a meat tray, as the tirade in question came out overnight, and it is indeed a doozy.
Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, is currently suing gossip monsters Gawker, after they posted part of a sex tape featuring him and a friend’s then-wife; they have since taken their post down but he is seeking $US 100 million in damages.
Overnight, after the WWE announced that they had cut ties with the wrestler, a transcript of a racially-charged tirade, alleged to be from a previously-unseen part of that same video, appeared online.
Speaking about his daughter Brooke‘s then-boyfriend, Hogan said:
“I mean, I’d rather if she was going to f**k some n****r, I’d rather have her marry an 8-foot-tall n****r worth a hundred million dollars! Like a basketball player! I guess we’re all a little racist. Fucking n****r.”
The wrestler has since come out and issued a statement, via People, apologising for the language that appears in the transcript. He told them:
“Eight years ago I used offensive language during a conversation. It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologize for having done it.”“This is not who I am. I believe very strongly that every person in the world is important and should not be treated differently based on race, gender, orientation, religious beliefs or otherwise.”“I am disappointed with myself that I used language that is offensive and inconsistent with my own beliefs.”
According to Hogan, his departure from the WWE was a resignation.
Gawker, meanwhile, are facing another drama, after choosing to publish the details of a high-ranking corporate executive’s failed hook-up with a gay porn star, effectively outing the executive in the process.
Writer Rich Juzwiak says that the site is in a state of “total meltdown”, after the publishers’ decision to remove the post led to a rift between the management and editorial teams, and the departure of a number of key staff.
via People
Photo: NBC Universal via Getty Images
Photo: NBC Universal via Getty Images
