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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The audio described in headlines as Hulk Hogan’s “N-word rant” is a partial excerpt from a 2007 conversation between Hogan, whose legal name is Terry Bollea, and Heather Clem. It was published in 2016 after materials in Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker were unsealed. The clip has gaps and redactions; it is not a complete recording.
What is in the released audio?
The excerpt captures Hogan speaking about his daughter Brooke’s relationship with a Black man and includes racist language. The available publication is muffled in places and contains inaudible or redacted sections. It does not establish everything said in the full conversation, and missing portions should not be reconstructed as though they were heard. The 2016 account by The Source described the surfaced clip and reproduced a transcript with redactions.
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When was it recorded and released?
| Event | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2007 | Hogan and Heather Clem took part in the conversation recorded as part of a sex tape, according to POST Wrestling. Hogan said he did not know he was being recorded; that is his claim. |
| July 24, 2015 | The National Enquirer and Radar Online published transcript excerpts. At the time, coverage was based on transcript quotes, not the subsequently released audio. |
| 2016 | A partial audio excerpt surfaced after court materials in Hogan’s Gawker litigation were unsealed and was published by Death and Taxes, as contemporaneous coverage by The Source reported. |
The difference matters: the 2015 reports supplied transcript excerpts, while the 2016 release made a portion of the recording audible. Neither establishes that a complete, unredacted master recording or definitive full transcript is publicly available. The Daily Beast’s account also describes the gaps and context surrounding the excerpt.
Is this the same recording as the call with his son?
No. A separate report in July 2015 concerned quotes from a May 2008 jailhouse phone call between Hogan and his son Nick, published by Bay News 9. It is not the 2007 conversation with Heather Clem that the released audio refers to. POST Wrestling distinguishes the two recordings in its chronology.
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What did Hogan and WWE say afterward?
On July 24, 2015, Hogan told ABC News: “It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologize for having done it.” He also said he was resigning from his contractual relationship with WWE. WWE separately stated: “WWE terminated its contract with Terry Bollea (a.k.a. Hulk Hogan).” The two descriptions—Hogan’s resignation and WWE’s termination—are the statements each party made at the time. ABC News reported both.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How did WWE’s response and Hogan’s legacy develop?
WWE announced in July 2018 that Hogan had been reinstated into its Hall of Fame after a three-year suspension. In August, Hogan described apologizing to the WWE locker room, saying: “It was inappropriate, it was out of context, it was hurtful, it was unacceptable and I did it.” TheWrap reported his account; contemporary coverage also noted that reactions to the apology were mixed. TheWrap and The Daily Beast provide accounts of the response.
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After Hogan’s death in July 2025, the Associated Press described the remarks as part of continuing debate among Black wrestling fans about his legacy. That debate sits alongside, rather than resolves, the distinction between the public apology, WWE’s later reinstatement, and the harm many fans associated with the remarks. The Associated Press reported on that response.
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