“It was unforgivable” - Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon reflects on Hulk Hogan’s past controversies in new documentary

Vincent Kennedy McMahon, also known as Vince McMahon, the co-founder and former CEO of WWE, opened up about the late Hulk Hogan's 2015 racism scandal, claiming that the professional wrestler was not a true racist at heart.

The 79-year-old, who is also a businessman and a former professional wrestling promoter, discussed and shed light on Hogan's racism controversy in the new documentary, TMZ Presents: The Real Hulk Hogan, which was released recently on Fox on August 12, 2025.

Vince McMahon co-founded the modern WWE along with his wife Linda McMahon, which happens to be the largest pro-wrestling show globally, reflected on Hulk Hogan's previous controversies, and said:

"It was unforgivable. And I was, like, aghast. What happened? And when those things occurred, that’s not like him. What in God’s name is going on?"

The late Terry Gene Bollea, widely known by his stage name, Hulk Hogan, passed away on July 24, 2025, in Clearwater, Florida, due to a cardiac arrest. Bollea was taken to a local hospital, where he was declared dead. He was 71 at the time.

According to documents obtained by US Weekly, Hogan died because of an acute myocardial infarction, which is, in common terms, known as a heart attack.

Following the 2015 racism scandal, Hogan was immediately removed from WWE's Hall of Fame. The drastic measure was taken when an audio of Hogan surfaced in which he frequently used the N-word and even called himself "racist, to a point". Vince McMahon, who was the head of WWE at the time, stated:

"As soon as it happened, obviously, the company didn’t have anything to do with him anymore. We took him out of the Hall of Fame. You just don’t do those things."

McMahon believed that the 2015 racism scandal did not reflect the real Hulk Hogan. He added:

"I knew he wasn’t racist. I’ve been with him for so many years. He wasn’t racist. He said some racist things. He should pay for that, and he did. In the end, I think everyone saw the real Hulk Hogan, Terry Bollea, and they felt, ‘Wait a minute, this guy doesn’t act like a racist. He’s not a racist.’ We all make mistakes. That was a big one, but he wasn’t a racist."

Hulk Hogan took full responsibility for the 2015 racism scandal

In 2015, the late Hogan acknowledged his actions and took full responsibility for the whole racism scandal. He stated that there was "no excuse" for using such language.

In a statement provided to US Weekly, Hogan said:

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"I believe very strongly that every person in the world is important and should not be treated differently based on race, gender, orientation, religious beliefs or otherwise. I am disappointed with myself that I used language that is offensive and inconsistent with my own beliefs. It is not who I am. I continue to work every day to improve as a person, and this matter is an important learning experience for me in that regard."

In 2018, Hulk Hogan was reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame.

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