The late pro wrestling star opens up about a number of scandals that bruised his legacy in Netflix's new docuseries, 'Hulk Hogan: Real American'
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NEED TO KNOW
- Late professional wrestling star Hulk Hogan says he “didn’t man up” in the initial aftermath of the 2015 scandal in which he was caught using racist slurs in a conversation with his daughter Brooke Hogan
- Hogan, who died in July 2025, makes the admission during the final interview of his life, which took place for Netflix’s new docuseries, Hulk Hogan: Real American
- “Whenever I say I have regrets, it’s because I didn’t man up when I said it,” Hogan says about the 2015 incident
In a new documentary about Hulk Hogan’s life and career, the late professional wrestling star says in his final interview that he has “regret” for using the N-word in a leaked 2015 audio clip that bruised his legacy.
Hogan, who died from a heart attack in July 2025, opens up about this and several other scandals that clouded his career in a new four-part documentary, Hulk Hogan: Real American, which begins streaming Wednesday, April 22.
The documentary features Hogan’s final interview, filmed three months before he died at his home in Clearwater, Fla., on July 24, 2025.
In the Netflix documentary’s final episode, Hogan reflects on using racial slurs when talking about his daughter Brooke Hogan’s then-boyfriend in a leaked audio transcript in 2015.
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“I’m a person that got very mad over a personal situation. I used a word. Yeah, I regret it, because even under that heavy, crazy fire, I should have remained still and kept my mouth shut,” Hogan says. “But what I said resonates and has an echo effect. It keeps vibrating for years.”
The late pro wrestling icon continues: “Bro, I’ve driven the car, keep hitting the wall, crashing and burning, saying stupid stuff and messing up. Whenever I say I have regrets, it’s because I didn’t man up when I said it.”
The documentary then flashes back to a television interview Hogan gave during the initial public fallout from the scandal in which he apologizes for his language but makes an excuse for why he used the racist word. “I never should have said what I said,” Hogan says in the clip. “It was wrong. I’m embarrassed by it. But a lot of people need to realize that you inherit things from your environment.”
At the time, Hogan gave PEOPLE a similar response when asked about using the racial slur.
“We are all products of our environment,” the then-62-year-old told PEOPLE one month after the audio was leaked. “If you lived in South Tampa then, you greeted your friends with the n-word, or if you were mad at your friends, you used the n-word. It was a part of my daily environment.”
Hogan added at the time: “When you inherit something that is passed on generation to generation to generation, it becomes a practice. You have to be aware of it. I realized this behavior and this type of verbiage is unacceptable. So for me to digress and say something so foul is devastating.”
Many viewed Hogan’s response to the incident as insincere and deflective, leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of many fans when it came to the late 12-time pro wrestling world champion’s legacy.
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In the initial aftermath, WWE removed Hogan from the WWE Hall of Fame and began to try and erase his legacy from the company he was once the face of during the height of his career.
Three years after the incident, WWE began to welcome Hogan back into the fold, including welcoming him back to host WrestleMania 37 in 2021. Then in 2024, Hogan publicly endorsed President Donald Trump, who has been accused of using racist language and terminology on a handful of occasions throughout his own life and career — once again souring the pro wrestling star’s image for a large portion of pro wrestling fans.
In his last televised appearance when WWE debuted on Netflix in January 2025, Hogan was heavily booed by fans – a moment that stunned the pro wrestling star.
“I knew it hurt him,” his longtime friend and on-screen manager Jimmy Hart tells producers in the documentary’s final episode.
In the documentary, Hogan appears at peace with the fact he is beloved by some and reviled by many others. “I’m not looking for a legacy pat on the back, for sure,” Hogan explains as he sits down for what would turn out to be the final interview of his life. “Not everyone’s going to love you. Some people hate me, but I’m definitely the greatest wrestler of all time. I’m Hulk Hogan.”
Hulk Hogan: Real American is now streaming on Netflix.
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