Source: Entertainment Weekly

Linda Hogan is not happy with the Television Academy’s exclusion of Hulk Hogan from the “In Memoriam” segment of Sunday’s Emmys broadcast, and she has her suspicions as to the potential reasons for the snub.

Linda, who was married to the WWE wrestler, reality star, and screen actor from 1983-2009, told Entertainment Weekly that she believes the Emmys left Hulk out of the televised tribute due to his recent embrace of conservative politics.

“I can’t prove that,” she clarified. “It’s just a guess, but they should have named him!!”

In particular, Linda said she feels that Hulk, who was born Terry Bollea, giving a speech in support of the Donald Trump–J.D. Vance ticket at the 2024 Republican National Convention ended any chance he might have had for posthumous recognition at an industry event like the Emmys.

“WWF at the top of the hour when he came on to wrestle…[Hulk] had the highest ratings on NBC, beating all other competition for that time slot for years!” Linda continued. “I really can’t tell you why they left him out…just a guess considering the way he was treated at his last appearance in LA.”

Hulk wasn’t the only recognizable star to be omitted from Sunday’s tribute. Jerry Adler, Terence Stamp, What’s Happening alum Danielle Spencer, and King of the Hill fan favorite Jonathan Joss were among the names missing from the televised segment, though they do all appear on a digital “In Memoriam” hosted on the Television Academy’s website.

Emmys ‘In Memoriam’ leaves out Hulk Hogan, Jerry Adler, Danielle Spencer, more TV stars

If Hogan’s exclusion was political, Linda remarked to TMZ on Monday, it’s still unwarranted, as her ex supported candidates from both parties over the years. Indeed, Hogan voiced his support for Barack Obama when the Illinois senator launched his first bid for the presidency. On a 2008 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Hulk said, “If I had to step out, and say who I really believe in — that catches my ear, that makes sense, that really can make a change — I would say Obama.”

But Hulk’s recent turn in the Trump direction was full-throated and attention-catching. He delivered a spirited address at the 2024 RNC in which he ripped off his shirt to reveal a skin-tight Trump-Vance T-shirt beneath, and urged the audience to “let Trumpamania run wild, brother.”

“Even though you guys are real Americans, you better get ready, because when Donald Dick J. Trump becomes the president of the United States, all the real Americans are gonna be nicknamed Trumpites, because all the Trumpites are gonna be runnin’ wild for four years,” he warned without explaining why he called the then-candidate “Donald Dick J. Trump.”

Terry Hogan sits surrounded by wife Linda, daughter Brooke, 17, and son Nick, 15. They’re preparing for the second season of their VH1 reality hit, “Hogan Knows Best,”

Trump even publicly mourned the WWE star after his death on July 24 at the age of 71.

“We lost a great friend today,” the president wrote in a post to his Truth Social site. “Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way — strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart. He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, that was one of the highlights of the entire week.”

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Linda appeared on the VH1 reality series Hogan Knows Best alongside Hulk and their two children, Brooke and Nick, from 2005-2007. She filed for divorce from Hulk in 2007, and it was finalized in 2009.

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