Vince McMahon defends late Hulk Hogan in rare interview: ‘He’s not a racist'

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Former WWE boss Vince McMahon has had plenty of reasons to stay away from the media recently, but the death of pro wrestling icon Hulk Hogan has caused him to break his silence.

McMahon, who was forced to resign from WWE and parent company TKO last year due to allegations of abuse and sexual trafficking by a former employee, made an appearance on Tuesday night’s TMZ Presents: The Real Hulk Hogan.

During the special, which aired on FOX, McMahon was interviewed via video conference by TMZ boss Harry Levin.

While McMahon’s own issues weren’t brought up, he did delve into Hogan’s controversies away from the ring – mainly his scandal over racist statements made on a sex tape.

When asked about his reaction to Hogan repeatedly using a racial slur in the tape and saying, “I’m a racist to a point,” McMahon said he was shocked.

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

“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 explained that he did forgive Hogan while the company welcomed him back in 2018, continuing its relationship with the star until his death.

“I knew he wasn’t a racist, I’ve been with him for so many years. He wasn’t a racist. He said some racist things, and he should pay for that, and he did,” McMahon said.

“But in the end, I think everyone saw the real Hulk Hogan, Terry Bollea, and they felt, well wait a minute, this guy, he 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.”

McMahon also shared with Levin his reaction after learning about the Hulkster’s death, which occurred last month.

“Shock. You just don’t think about someone, a family member or someone that close to you, you don’t think about them passing away,” McMahon said. “Terry had kicked out, so to speak, of so many surgeries … and, you know, he overcame that.

“It was a tremendous shock. It was a blow to my heart.”

McMahon also shared his thoughts about Hogan’s final appearance on WWE TV, during which he was mercilessly booed at Raw’s Netflix premiere in Los Angeles in January.

The former WWE boss said that he was angry at the company and that Hogan deserved more from it.

“I was angry because we’ve known each other for a lifetime, professionally and personally. And setting up, so to speak, this larger-than-life superhero, you don’t just let him walk out there. He deserved something very, very special. More than anyone, they owe him,” McMahon said.

“It’s just like, OK, here comes Hulk Hogan. I got angry because that’s not the way I would have done it and he deserved much more.”