A week after Hulk Hogan’s tragic passing at the age of 71, it’s been confirmed that the WWE star died as a result of a heart attack. However, Hogan’s cremation report also revealed a detail fans never knew. That is, the wrestler was a leukemia survivor.
Initial reports said that Hogan had gone into cardiac arrest. As such, his official cause of death being confirmed as a heart attack by Page Six may not come as a surprise to some. That said, the outlet’s report that he had at some point had chronic lymphocytic leukemia certainly is a detail few were expecting, with Hogan never opening up about his diagnosis or treatment to his fanbase.
At the time of this writing, it’s not clear when exactly Hogan had the disease. According to Cleveland Clinic, most people who have it will be diagnosed at or after age 65. However, the clinic also notes that some are diagnosed in their 30s. Another detail that is yet to be confirmed is whether Hogan had leukemia at the time of his death, as it is possible he may have been in remission. Other than acknowledging Hogan’s health struggles more generally, his surviving loved ones have yet to comment on the matter. We’re keeping them in our thoughts as they face even more media attention while navigating their grief.
Many of Hulk Hogan’s loved ones have alluded to his health woes
Though details about Hulk Hogan’s leukemia diagnosis have yet to be made public, it bears mentioning that a number of his loved ones made specific mention of him having ongoing health woes at the time of his passing. His widow, Sky Daily, wrote in her Instagram statement, “He had been dealing with some health issues, but I truly believed we would overcome them.” Her words were similar to what Hulk’s ex-wife Linda Hogan had shared in her own haunting statement. “I had no idea he would pass away this soon. We all really thought he would make a come back!” Linda wrote in an emotional Instagram comment.
Brooke Hogan had also alluded to her father’s ill health when she penned her heartbreaking statement on Instagram. Addressing their fractured relationship in the last few years of his life, Brooke wrote that at some point, he had stopped asking her to be present for the many surgeries he was facing after years of pushing his body to its limits, which had been devastating for her. “Prior to this, I was by my father’s side for nearly every surgery. I knew his medical history like a roadmap,” she shared.
Again, it’s not clear if any of those surgeries were linked to Hulk’s leukemia. However, one thing that certainly is clear is that Hulk was surrounded by a lot of love, right until the very end.
