Clearwater Police Close Hulk Hogan Death Inquiry, Classifying It as Natural

The Clearwater Police Department has closed its investigation into the death of wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, classifying the case as an attended natural death.

In an update released Friday, the department said it had finished looking into the July 24, 2025, death of Terry Bollea, the man known around the world as Hulk Hogan. Investigators said they interviewed multiple witnesses and reviewed recordings as part of an effort to address concerns that surfaced after he died.

Police thanked Bollea's relatives for their help. "We want to thank the family of Mr. Bollea — Sky, Nick and Brooke — and their attorney, Kevin Hayslett, for their cooperation," the department said in a statement. It added that the family's willingness to give investigators access to very personal information while they were grieving was extremely helpful, and that police "would not have had the legal justification to obtain much of the information without their cooperation."

The announcement follows a petition from Hogan's family asking for a 90-day extension of the statute of limitations so they could look into a possible medical malpractice claim. The filing indicated the family was examining whether medical providers involved in his care might bear some responsibility for circumstances leading to his death. It named medical professionals at Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and at Tampa General Hospital.

Hogan was 71 when he died after a medical emergency at his Clearwater home. The Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner's Office earlier ruled the death natural and cited a heart attack. Officials said he had a history of leukemia and atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that can raise the risk of serious cardiac events.

Questions arose after his death, however. TMZ reported that an occupational therapist who was at the home told investigators she believed medical malpractice may have played a part. The same report cited statements from Hogan's widow indicating that his phrenic nerve had been compromised during an earlier procedure.

Not everything the investigation reviewed will become public. Police said security camera footage and private autopsy results remain with the family, and medical records tied to the case are exempt from public disclosure under Florida law.

The information in this report came from the Clearwater Police Department and earlier FOX 13 News coverage.