It appears Hulk Hogan's marriage could be down for the count.
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"As this is a very personal matter for the Boellas and their children, Mrs. Boella understandably requested that no further comment be given," Linda's attorney, Elliot Jay Goldstein, told the Times in an email.
When the Times reached Hulk by phone on Friday night, he was apparently unaware that his wife of 23-years had filed for divorce. The Times subsequently informed the 54-year-old wrestler of his 48-year-old wife's decision to file the paperwork earlier in the week.
"Thank you for the great information," Hulk told the Times "politely" before hanging up and calling back five minutes later.
"I'm kind of shocked," he told the Times. "You caught me off-guard. My wife has been in California for about three weeks... Holy smokes. Wow, you just knocked the bottom out of me... I just pulled over to the side of the road for five minutes to find out what was going on here."
Attempts by the Times to contact Linda via phone on Friday night went unanswered. When the Times asked Hulk if he and his wife had discussed divorce, he said, "That's my private business."
Hulk and Linda first met in 1983 in Los Angeles before marrying in 1984 and moving to Tampa. Their oldest child Brooke was born in 1988, and their son Nick followed two years later. VH1's Hogan Knows Best reality series, which follows the daily life of the Hogan clan, first premiered in July 2005. A July 2007 episode of the show -- titled "Wedlock Headlocks" -- followed the couple as they entered counseling, which eventually led the couple to (temporarily, apparently) reconcile their differences.
While Hulk was recently tabbed by NBC to host the network's reinvented version of American Gladiators when it premieres in primetime early next year, the Hogan family has most recently been in the news for another reason.
Nick was driving his father's 1998 Toyota Supra around 7:30PM on August 26 in Clearwater when he lost control and hit a raised median, spinning the vehicle and causing its rear end to strike a palm tree. Police allege Nick was driving 60MPH at the time of the crash in a stretch of road with a 40MPH speed limit, and several witnesses have also claimed Nick was street racing and speeding prior to the crash.
Following a more than two month investigation by police, Nick was arrested on charges of reckless driving involving serious bodily injury; using a motor vehicle in commission of a felony; being a driver under 21 operating a vehicle with a breath-alcohol level of 0.02% or higher; and having illegal window tinting. He was subsequently released after posting $10,000 bail,
Nick's front-seat passenger -- 22-year-old U.S. Marine John Graziano -- spent several weeks in critical condition in a medically-induced coma. Graziano suffered a broken skull and is expected to need lifelong care that will probably require he spend the remainder of his life in a nursing home.
If Graziano were to die due to injuries suffered during the crash, the Times reported prosecutors would "upgrade" the charges against Nick. In addition, the Times reported Graziano's parents feel a lawsuit against the Hogans will be necessary to pay for their son's long-term care.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio
