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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsHulk Hogan’s public image was shaped by three distinct episodes: his 1994 testimony about steroid use, his lawsuit over Gawker’s publication of a sex-tape excerpt, and the 2015 disclosure of racist language that led WWE to terminate his contract. The most direct professional consequence came in 2015. WWE reinstated him to its Hall of Fame in 2018, but that institutional decision did not settle ongoing debate about his legacy.
How the controversies differed
| Episode | What happened | Immediate response | Consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 steroid testimony | Hogan testified that he had taken steroids for 13 years and routinely obtained them at WWF headquarters. | He gave testimony in the federal trial of Vince McMahon and denied that McMahon encouraged him to use steroids. | The testimony became part of Hogan’s public record; it was not a conviction of Hogan for an offense. |
| Gawker privacy lawsuit | Gawker published an excerpt of a sex tape in 2012. | Hogan sued over the publication. A jury awarded him $140 million in 2016; the parties later settled for $31 million. | The litigation contributed to Gawker’s closure, according to the Associated Press. The case concerned publication and privacy, not the separate racial-slur controversy. |
| 2015 racial-slur controversy | Reports disclosed racial slurs used by Hogan in recordings and transcripts. | Hogan apologized, and WWE announced that it had terminated his contract. | WWE removed him from its Hall of Fame at the time; it announced his reinstatement in 2018 after a three-year suspension. |
What Hogan testified about steroids in 1994
During the federal trial of Vince McMahon in 1994, Hogan testified that he had taken steroids for 13 years and routinely obtained them at WWF headquarters. The New York Times reported on July 23, 1994 that Hogan denied McMahon encouraged him to use them. McMahon was acquitted. Hogan’s testimony is significant context for his image, but it should not be confused with a finding that Hogan was convicted of a crime.
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Why the Gawker case was a different controversy
Gawker published an excerpt of a sex tape in 2012, and Hogan sued over that publication. A jury awarded him $140 million in 2016; the case later settled for $31 million. The Associated Press’s July 24, 2025 retrospective reported that the litigation contributed to Gawker’s closure. Those figures describe the verdict and settlement in the privacy litigation, not a measure of reputational damage.
The lawsuit is also distinct from the later racial-slur controversy. ABC’s 2015 editorial note clarified that the recording containing the racial slur was on a different tape from the one involved in Hogan’s Gawker lawsuit. The lawsuit’s verdict and settlement therefore do not resolve the merits of the racial-slur controversy.
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The 2015 racial-slur disclosure and WWE’s response
In 2015, reports disclosed racial slurs used by Hogan in recordings and transcripts. Hogan apologized, saying: “It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologize for having done it.” ABC reported that statement on July 24, 2015.
On August 5, 2015, WWE announced: “WWE terminated its contract with Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan). WWE is committed to embracing and celebrating individuals from all backgrounds as demonstrated by the diversity of our employees, performers and fans worldwide.” Contemporary reporting also described Hogan’s removal from the WWE Hall of Fame. This was the clearest immediate institutional consequence of the scandals covered here: the company ended its contract with him.
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WWE reinstated Hogan in 2018, but debate continued
On July 15, 2018, WWE announced Hogan’s return to its Hall of Fame following what it called a three-year suspension. The announcement cited his public apologies and volunteering. Reinstatement records WWE’s decision; it does not establish that public criticism ended or that audiences reached a shared view.
The Associated Press’s 2025 retrospective described continuing disagreement about Hogan’s legacy, including among Black wrestling fans. Responses are not universal, and the available reporting does not quantify how much his reputation changed.
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What these scandals changed—and what they do not prove
- Steroid testimony: Hogan’s own account of long-term steroid use entered public discussion in 1994. It was testimony, not a criminal conviction of Hogan.
- Gawker litigation: The lawsuit made Hogan a central figure in a major privacy dispute and contributed to Gawker’s closure. Its financial outcomes belong to that case, not the separate 2015 controversy.
- Racial-slur controversy: The disclosed language prompted Hogan’s apology and WWE’s termination of his contract in 2015. WWE later reversed its Hall of Fame exclusion, while disagreement about his legacy persisted.
There is no established numerical measure here for the size of the reputational change. The record instead shows different kinds of impact: public scrutiny of Hogan’s testimony, a consequential privacy lawsuit, and a direct break with WWE followed by a later Hall of Fame reinstatement.
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