--- description: An emotional Hulk Hogan apologized to fans Monday on Good Morning America for racist comments he made that were caught on tape. title: Hulk Hogan Apologizes for Racist Comments image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta0ed3f186c818e42/698861afcf40a884e5c3f7b2/hulk-hogan.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [celebrities](/tag/celebrities/) ## celebrities Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Hulk Hogan Apologizes for Racist Comments ## Video: Know Right Now: WWE Ends Contract with Hulk Hogan [Watch (HLS stream): Know Right Now: WWE Ends Contract with Hulk Hogan](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ID017ieV.m3u8) (1:01)  _Published 2015-07-24. The WWE ended its contract with Hulk Hogan after a 2012 radio interview leaked and revealed he used the N-word._ by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 31, 2015 2:08 PM CUT  FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2012, file photo, reality TV star and former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, looks on as his attorney speaks during a news at the United States Courthouse in Tampa, Fla. Hogan is suing Gawker for invasion of privacy, after the New York-based website published a tape of Hogan having sex with his then-best friend's wife. The trial starts Monday, July 6, 2015\. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File) FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2012, file photo, reality TV star and former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, looks on as his attorney speaks during a news at the United States Courthouse in Tampa, Fla. Hogan is suing Gawker for invasion of privacy, after the New York-based website published a tape of Hogan having sex with his then-best friend's wife. The trial starts Monday, July 6, 2015\. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)Chris O'Meara—AP by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 31, 2015 2:08 PM CUT An emotional Hulk Hogan [apologized to fans](https://gma.yahoo.com/hulk-hogan-racial-slur-scandal-please-forgive-people-112815982--abc-news-celebrities.html "undefined") Monday on _Good Morning America_ for racist comments he made that were caught on tape. The wrestler addressed his use of racial slurs in a recording that was recently released, resulting in Hogan’s removal from the WWE’s Hall of Fame. [According to Yahoo](https://gma.yahoo.com/hulk-hogan-racial-slur-scandal-please-forgive-people-112815982--abc-news-celebrities.html "undefined"), it’s believed that the tape was recorded between 2006 and 2007. Hogan told _GMA_, “I’m not a racist, I never should have said what I said. It was wrong. I’m embarrassed by it.” Hogan said he grew up in a rough neighborhood where the N-word was “thrown around like it was nothing.” He said it was “very fair” to say that he inherited a racial bias. He asked his fans for forgiveness. He added that the aftermath of the leak was very troubling for him: “I was to the point where I wanted to kill myself,” he said. “Just because a person makes a mistake, just don’t throw them away. You don’t throw good people away,” said Hogan. “People get better every day.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4016951/hulk-hogan-apologizes-racist-comments/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4016951/hulk-hogan-apologizes-racist-comments/"},"headline":"Hulk Hogan Apologizes for Racist Comments","datePublished":"2015-08-31T14:08:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T10:34:21.253Z","description":"The wrestler said racial slurs were thrown around casually where he grew up","url":"https://time.com/4016951/hulk-hogan-apologizes-racist-comments/","keywords":["celebrities","Apology"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta0ed3f186c818e42/698861afcf40a884e5c3f7b2/hulk-hogan.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alexandra Sifferlin","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta0ed3f186c818e42/698861afcf40a884e5c3f7b2/hulk-hogan.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Terry Bollea, Hulk Hogan,","caption":"Terry Bollea, Hulk Hogan,","creditText":"Chris O'Meara—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/celebrities/","name":"celebrities"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4016951/hulk-hogan-apologizes-racist-comments/","name":"Hulk Hogan Apologizes for Racist Comments"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Know Right Now: WWE Ends Contract with Hulk Hogan","description":"The WWE ended its contract with Hulk Hogan after a 2012 radio interview leaked and revealed he used the N-word.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/ID017ieV/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-07-24T16:05:31.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ID017ieV.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4016951/hulk-hogan-apologizes-racist-comments/","duration":"PT1M1S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4016951/hulk-hogan-apologizes-racist-comments/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```