WWE icon Hulk Hogan died aged 71 this week. Paramedics rushed to the property after a 911 call reported he was experiencing acute heart problems
Hulk Hogan spent his final weeks battling severe health issues and making peace with estranged loved ones before dying of cardiac arrest. The wrestling icon, born Terry Bollea, died on Thursday morning after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Clearwater mansion in Florida. He was 71.
Paramedics rushed to the property after a 911 call reported he was experiencing acute heart problems. He was taken to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A source said that the former WWE superstar had long been battling a “very weak heart” and had deteriorated significantly in recent weeks.
“Over his last few weeks, he was suffering from shortness of breath, becoming tired easily,” the insider said. “He also began to lose weight, which made him look frail. Terry knew he wasn’t in a good way.”
His condition was in sharp contrast with his wife Sky Daily’s recent denial that her husband was seriously ill. Just weeks before his death, she dismissed claims he was in a coma and insisted his heart was “strong” following neck surgery.
She said he had been recovering from a four-level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion, a complex spinal procedure, which she described as “an intense surgery with a long and layered healing process.”
Despite his struggles, the former wrestler reportedly spent his final days in a state of reflection and reconciliation, determined to make peace with his past.
“He had a lot of people he wanted to make peace with. It was important to him to repair the bridges that had once been destroyed.” At the time of his death, Hogan remained estranged from his daughter Brooke.
According to TMZ, the father and daughter spoke for the last time two weeks before his wedding to Sky Daily in 2023, which she did not attend.
During the call, Brooke, 37, reportedly told her father she loved him and urged him to slow down, citing his worsening health. Hogan’s death shocked the sporting and entertainment worlds, and tributes poured in from fans, celebrities, and fellow wrestlers. Donald Trump issued a statement via Truth Social, calling Hogan “a great friend.”
“Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way – Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart,” Trump wrote. “He entertained fans from all over the world, and the cultural impact he had was massive.” The former president praised the “Hulkster” for delivering an “absolutely electric speech” during the 2024 Republican National Convention.
Hogan, whose career transformed wrestling into a mainstream phenomenon in the 1980s, was estimated to be worth around £18 million at the time of his death.
He is survived by his third wife Sky, Brooke and son Nick, 34, from his first marriage to Linda Claridge and two grandchildren. Hogan’s turbulent personal life often made headlines alongside his wrestling stardom. He divorced Claridge in 2009 following a high-profile split and married Jennifer McDaniel in 2010. That marriage ended in 2021.
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