Hulk Hogan’s longtime friend and fellow wrestling icon Kevin Nash has strong words for those resurfacing the late WWE star’s controversial past.
On the latest episode of his Kliq This podcast, Nash addresses renewed scrutiny around Hogan’s legacy, including a decade-old leaked audio tape in which the wrestling legend used the N-word multiple times and described himself as “racist, to a point.”
“For the people that want to go after Hogan for doing this, doing that — how about f–k you, man?” Nash says.
“He’s dead. How about his kids, man? Can’t you just lay off the man?”
Nash, 66, was one-third of the original NWO — the WCW faction that revolutionized professional wrestling in the 1990s — alongside Hogan and the late Scott Hall.
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He remained close with Hogan for years. He makes his point clear: Now is not the time to tear him down.
“Ain’t nothing’s gonna change now,” he continues. “It’s sensationalism. It’s, ‘You know, I never liked him anyway.’ Who gives a f–k? I know he doesn’t. I know he didn’t.”
The WWE Hall of Famer reminds listeners that Hogan’s loved ones are still grieving — including his wife, Sky Daily, and his two children, Brooke, 37, and Nick, 35, whom he shared with ex-wife Linda Hogan.
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“Think about his kids,” Nash adds. “Think about his friends and family. If you don’t have nothing good to say, shut the f–k up.”
Hulk Hogan’s Controversial Legacy
Hogan (real name Terry Bollea) died on July 24 at age 71 after suffering cardiac arrest.
While tributes poured in from fans and wrestlers alike, some critics revisited his past, particularly his 2015 firing from WWE after leaked audio from a private tape captured him using racial slurs and making openly racist remarks.
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Hogan later apologized, calling the language “unacceptable” and saying there was “no excuse.”
WWE reinstated him into its Hall of Fame in 2018, but fan reactions remained mixed.
During what would be his final WWE appearance in January 2025, Hogan was loudly booed by fans during the Netflix premiere of Raw at the Intuit Dome in California.
Still, WWE paid tribute to the wrestling legend during the July 28 episode of Raw, with his son Nick appearing as part of the on-air memorial.
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