Iconic pro wrestler Hulk Hogan and his now ex-wife Linda appeared to be totally in love
on their VH1 reality show Hogan Knows Best.
But they ultimately split in 2007, which resulted in a bitter divorce battle.
In November of that year, People reported that Hulk found out Linda had filed for divorce
after a St. Petersburg Times reporter supposedly broke the news.
In 2008, Linda's publicist, Gary Smith, told E! News that she filed papers after she found
out Hulk had an affair with Christiane Plante — their daughter Brooke's close friend.
Smith claimed,
"Almost every statement that comes out of Hulk's mouth is a diversionary tactic to deflect
attention away from the real reason Linda filed for divorce, two words: HULK'S CHEATING!"
But Hulk's lawyer, David Houston, told the outlet,
"It is unfortunate Linda Hogan will do virtually anything to keep herself in the public spotlight.
We are not going to demean this process nor the family any longer by responding to what
amounts to pathetic pleas for attention."
Still, the media blitz continued.
In 2008, Christiane Plante confirmed her affair with Hulk, telling the National Enquirer,
"My relationship with [Hulk] began at a time when [Hulk] and Linda privately knew their
marriage was ending.
She had left him already, although no official papers had been filed.
[…] He and I grew close at a time when he was going through a very difficult period.
It seemed right then, but I know it was wrong."
Christiane and Brooke's former friendship took a swift nosedive.
Perez Hilton reported that Brooke posted a since-deleted message about the scandal on
MySpace, writing,
"When your best friend and one of your closest family members […] betray you together,
you could MAYBE find it in yourself to forgive one day.
[…] But you will NEVER forget the hurt they caused you and how it hurt the people who
mean the most to you."
"I kinda hit rock bottom."
Alleged affairs aside, Hulk claimed that the divorce was completely Linda's idea.
He told Access Hollywood,
"It wasn't an argument, it was, 'Hey, I don't love you, I don't want to be with you, I don't
want to see you anymore.'
[…] We'd had problems over the last 10 years but, you know, I thought that when you put
your hand on the Bible, you know, until death do us part and for better or worse, I thought
people really meant that when they said it."
For her part, Linda opened up about the split in 2016, telling Inside Edition:
"I was honest, I was a good wife, I was truthful.
I never cheated on him.”
She then shared a letter to her ex-husband that read:
“YOU have single-handedly ruined our 25-year marriage and our family.
[…] You lost it ALL.
[…] You took me for granted and never appreciated me or our beautiful family, blaming me for
your horrendous mistakes.
[…] I will never ever forgive you."
Unfortunately, that drama only ramped up from there.
In 2009, Hulk and Linda Hogan settled their divorce, and the details remained confidential
until 2011.
E! News reported that Linda was set to receive more than 70 percent of the couple's liquid
assets, in addition to 40 percent ownership of Hulk's companies.
Hulk reportedly also paid her a $3 million property settlement.
But from that point, it appears things got even more complicated.
In 2019, Linda told the Daily Mail,
"It has been nine years since our divorce and I have received nothing but frivolous
legal battles meant to harass and drain any monies I received upfront from our original
divorce agreement."
She also claimed that Hulk has tried to get out of paying her.
And yet another thing factoring into the messy split was Gawker's leak of an explicit videotape
of Hulk and Heather Cole in 2012.
According to Forbes, Hulk received a combined $140 million settlement after he sued the
site — and Linda told the Daily Mail that she wants what she's owed.
She said,
"The fight I brought to grow our brand is the same fight I am bringing to get what is
rightfully mine.
He may have bought some time, but he can't buy justice."
"It's like, it's dirty money."
It's unclear whether Hulk and Linda have since straightened out their financial issues, but
there's clearly no love lost between the exes.
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