Linda Hogan, ex-wife of Hulk Hogan, criticized the Television Academy for leaving the WWE star out of the televised “In Memoriam” segment during Sunday’s Emmy Awards.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Linda suggested that her former husband’s political views may have influenced the decision. “I can’t prove that,” she said. “It’s just a guess, but they should have named him!!”
She pointed to Hulk’s appearance at the 2024 Republican National Convention, where he endorsed Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, as a potential reason for the omission. “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!” she added.
Hulk, born Terry Bollea, died on July 24 at age 71.
While Hulk was absent from the CBS broadcast, the Television Academy clarified that he was featured in a longer “In Memoriam” video uploaded to its website. The digital version also included names like Jerry Adler, Danielle Spencer, and Jonathan Joss, who were similarly left out of the live telecast.
“Given only a few minutes to honor those who have passed, there is a limit on how many people can be acknowledged on the broadcasts,” the Academy explained in a statement.
The decision also fits into a larger pattern. No professional wrestler has ever been highlighted in the Emmy broadcast tribute, reflecting the complicated relationship between scripted sports entertainment and mainstream television recognition. The WWE itself didn’t officially take its current name until 2002, following decades of rebranding from the Capitol Wrestling Corporation to the WWWF, WWF, and finally, World Wrestling Entertainment.
Hogan wasn’t the only notable omission. Late actor Tony Todd, best known for Candyman and dozens of television roles, was also excluded from the live segment. His widow, Fatima Cortez Todd, said: “It’s just another disrespect of him. He faced a lot of disrespect in his career.” Tony, who passed away in late 2024, did appear in the Emmys’ online tribute.
For Linda, the explanation isn’t enough. “I really can’t tell you why they left him out,” she said, before adding that politics remain her best guess.
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