Vince McMahon Claims Hulk Hogan Not A Racist Despite “Unforgivable” Remarks

Vince McMahon has defended Hulk Hogan despite racist comments that left the former WWE Chairman aghast.

In 2015, a recording of Hulk Hogan using racist slurs and claiming to be “racist to a point” was made public. The comments tarnished Hogan’s legacy in the eyes of many, with Hogan also not thought to have appropriately apologised for his behaviour.

When Hulk Hogan passed away in July 2025, WWE led tributes to one of their biggest ever stars, but some did not wish to celebrate The Hulkster, given his checkered past.

Now, Vince McMahon has given a rare public comment following Hogan’s death and touched on the controversy that dogged him for the rest of his life.

Vince McMahon: “Hulk Hogan Is Not A Racist”

Speaking in an interview with TMZ, Vince McMahon explained how he felt when he learned about Hogan’s racist comments, noting that he was shocked and took immediate action to distance WWE from the star:

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? 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.

Hulk Hogan was welcomed back into the fold in WWE in 2018, with Vince McMahon explaining the decision for that as he believed Hulk Hogan simply wasn’t a racist:

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. 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.

Vince McMahon explained how he felt when Hulk Hogan was booed out of the building in what turned out to be Hogan’s final appearance for the company in January 2025.

This is the first public interview Vince McMahon has given since he was forced to resign as Executive Chairman of TKO following a lawsuit accusing McMahon of serious sexual abuse and sex trafficking.