Hulk Hogan Missing From Emmys In Memoriam: Ex-Wife Reveals the Jaw-Dropping Reason
Linda Hogan claims the Primetime Emmys deliberately left Hulk Hogan out of the In Memoriam because of his politics, after he backed the Trump–J.D. Vance ticket at the 2024 RNC.
Well, this is awkward. Hulk Hogan was missing from the Primetime Emmys In Memoriam segment, and his ex-wife Linda thinks she knows why. Short version: she suspects politics, not oversight. And yes, she knows it is a guess.
Linda Hogan thinks the Emmys left him out on purpose
Linda weighed in on why Hulk was not included during the broadcast. Her theory is that the Emmys deliberately skipped him because of his political leanings. For context, Hogan publicly backed the Donald Trump-J.D. Vance ticket at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
"I can not prove that. It is just a guess, but they should have named him!!"
She also argued he clearly belonged in that tribute, pointing to his TV footprint. According to Linda, when WWF programming hit NBC and Hulk stepped into the ring at the top of the hour, those shows delivered the network some of its strongest numbers, beating whatever else was in that time slot for years. She added that her politics theory comes partly from how she says he was treated during his last appearance in Los Angeles. In other words, she is connecting dots from experience, not claiming hard evidence. (Shared via Entertainment Weekly.)
Does a wrestler belong in the Emmys tribute?
If you are wondering whether a wrestling icon fits an Emmys segment: wrestling is TV, and Hulk was bigger-than-big on television. Beyond the ring, he did reality TV and plenty of small-screen appearances. Whether you think the Emmys should count that or not, he is not exactly a fringe case.
How we got here, quickly
- Early 1980s: Linda and Hulk cross paths at a Los Angeles restaurant and start dating.
- 1983: They get married.
- 1988 and 1990: They welcome Brooke and Nick.
- Mid-2000s: Their family life becomes VH1 fodder on the reality series Hogan Knows Best.
- After 24 years, they divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
- July 2025: Hulk Hogan dies at 71. The cause is not immediately made public.
- A week later: PEOPLE reports the cause as acute myocardial infarction, commonly a heart attack.
The bottom line
Linda is not presenting proof, just a pointed hunch: that Hulk’s politics got him erased from the Emmys tribute. Her case leans on his TV-era dominance and a not-great experience she says he had in LA. Whether you buy the theory or chalk it up to the usual awards-show omissions, it is a messy look for a show that is supposed to honor the full TV picture.