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Hulk Hogan fired by WWE, apologizes for ‘offensive language’

Hulk Hogan, shown in 2012, has been dropped by WWE.

Hulk Hogan, shown in 2012, has been dropped by WWE.

(Chris O’Meara / Associated Press)
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World Wrestling Entertainment has fired Hulk Hogan and removed all traces of him from its website because of racial slurs he made during a conversation he had with someone about Hogan’s daughter, Brooke, first reported by RadarOnline.

WWE issued a statement Friday saying, “WWE terminated its contract with Terry Bollea (a.k.a. Hulk Hogan). WWE is committed to embracing and celebrating individuals from all backgrounds as demonstrated by the diversity of our employees, performers and fans worldwide.”

Hogan first responded a tweet. “In the storm I release control,God and his Universe will sail me where he wants me to be,one love. HH,” he wrote.

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Later Friday morning, Hogan apologized in a statement to People magazine:

“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.”

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Another interview also surfaced Thursday of Hogan making racial slurs. Hogan appeared on DJ Whoo Kid’s radio show “Whoolywood Shuffle” on Sirius XM in 2012. In the interview, Hogan said, “Everybody down there — Lil Wayne, Birdman — they’re all calling me .... and then I started sayin’ it. And I always said it, but now all of a sudden I get heat when I say it, and they say, ‘Hogan, you can’t say that,’ so I say, ‘Why can they say it to me, then?’ ”

Though the interview is three years old, it resurfaced online late Thursday and quickly went viral. It was then that WWE deleted all references to Hogan from its website, including removing him from their Hall of Fame section.

The full interview, which is full of explicit language, is posted online.

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