CLEARWATER, Fla. — Former WWE star Hulk Hogan filed a defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, claiming that she lied about him in her autobiography and during a series of promotional interviews.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Clearwater, Fla., claims Linda Bollea wrote “Wrestling The Hulk: My Life Against the Ropes” to help revive her flagging career following their 2009 divorce, the St. Petersburg Times reported Friday.
Bollea alleged in the book that Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, physically and mentally abused her during their marriage, including dragging her by her hair and clothes and choking her.
While being interviewed on television and radio earlier this year, Bollea reiterated those allegations.
“It scared me that he might just snap, not realize what he’s doing. He is just so strong,” she told FOX News Channel in June. “I thought he could kill me. He had his hands around my neck one time on the bed, and he started squeezing my throat. He just went into this trance, and I was looking at him and saying, ‘Terry, stop, stop. I can’t breathe.'”
In another interview, she alleged that Hogan had a homosexual relationship with a fellow wrestler.
Hogan, who denies the claims, is demanding a jury trial. He has also requested that the book, published by HarperCollins, be removed from sale, according to the report. HarperCollins is owned by News Corp., which also owns NewsCore.
Wil Florin, the ex-wrestler’s attorney, said, “He’s being accused of all sorts of vile conduct that he did not commit. Miss Bollea’s made enough of these outrageous allegations that it’s time they stop … The only realistic way of making them stop is through the court system.”
The lawsuit comes two weeks after it was reported that Bollea received a little more than 70 percent of the couple’s liquid assets in the divorce settlement.