Linda Hogan, the ex-wife of late professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, criticized the televised "In Memoriam" segment of the 2025 Emmy Awards for omitting her former husband and said she suspected the decision was politically motivated.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Linda Hogan said she could not prove a political motive but suggested the WWE icon’s public support for President Donald Trump in the run-up to the 2024 election may have played a role. "I can’t prove that," she said. "It’s just a guess, but they should have named him!!" She noted the wrestler’s long-running television popularity and said, "WWF at the top of the hour when he came on to wrestle…[Hulk] had the highest ratings on NBC, beating all other competition for that time slot for years!"
Hulk Hogan, born Terry Bollea, died July 24 at age 71. The Television Academy included his name and images in a longer "In Memoriam" tribute posted online, but his name did not appear in the shorter package aired during Sunday night’s broadcast. Linda Hogan pointed to recent public reactions to her ex-husband, including boos at his January appearance on WWE’s "Monday Night Raw" in Los Angeles, as context for why he might have been omitted from the televised segment.
Hogan drew widespread attention in the year before his death for his political activity. He spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and wore a shirt in support of the Trump–JD Vance ticket. Earlier in his public life he had at times supported other figures, including former President Barack Obama; Hogan later said he felt slighted after his entrance theme, "Real American," was used at the 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner without his consent.
Public records released after his death reported the cause as a heart attack, according to Pinellas County forensic records obtained by media outlets. Linda Hogan paid tribute on social media after his death, writing that she had been "weeping all day" and calling him "the only man for me." The couple were married from 1983 to 2009 and had two children, daughter Brooke and son Nick.
The Television Academy has in recent years posted extended "In Memoriam" videos online when runtime constraints limit the televised segment. Linda Hogan’s remarks focused narrowly on her belief that her ex-husband’s politics — not his career contributions — influenced the decision about what aired during the live broadcast, while acknowledging she could not prove that was the reason for the omission.
Her comments reflect a wider sensitivity around how awards shows and memory segments choose which figures to highlight during live broadcasts. The Television Academy did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment about editorial decisions for the televised "In Memoriam" package.
Hogan’s career spanned decades in professional wrestling and crossover appearances in film and television. Linda Hogan’s public critique underscores ongoing debates about how public figures’ off-stage actions and affiliations are weighed against their professional legacies in televised tributes.