Whatever Happened To Hulk Hogan's Son, Nick Hogan?
In the early days of reality television, former WWE wrestler Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Gene Bollea) and his family were well-known stars thanks to their now-defunct show, Hogan Knows Best. The series, which aired on VH1 from 2005 to 2007, followed the lives of Hulk and his then-wife, Linda Hogan, and their kids Brooke Hogan (born 1988) and Nick Hogan (born 1990) in Clearwater, Fla.
Despite the show's success, it came to an abrupt end after Season 4 due to several upsetting situations involving the Hogan family. In August 2007, Nick crashed his car into a palm tree due to speeding, according to ABC News. His passenger, U.S. Marine John Graziano, suffered severe brain damage and now requires full-time care as a result, the St. Petersburg Times reported (via The Ledger). Graziano was not wearing his seatbelt when the crash occurred, per TODAY.
Nick was sentenced to eight months in a Florida county jail in May 2008 "after pleading no contest to charges of felony reckless driving," and was ordered to complete "500 hours of community service" and had his "driver's license revoked for three years," according to People. "Every single day I think about the accident and about John," Bollea said in court, per the outlet. "I will never ever be able to say I'm sorry enough."
So what has Nick's life been like since this tragedy? It appears the former reality star is focused on his new normal.
Nick Hogan has launched his DJ career
Since the accident, Nick Hogan has worked hard to establish himself as a professional DJ. Not only has Nick DJed at professional events, but he was also scheduled to provide the beats for "Hogan's Beach Party" at Tampa's Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in April 2020. Rapper Lil' Jon was set to DJ at the bash as well, but neither he or Nick got the chance to perform due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As for Nick's love life? He is dating webcam and Instagram model Tana Lea as of this writing. "My beautiful, smart, kind, and amazing woman," Hulk Hogan's son wrote to Lea on her birthday via Instagram. "@thetanalea She is the one who has changed my life forever! I have grown and become the happiest man I could ever be because of you! Looking forward to a whole lifetime of memories with you."
Nick hasn't spoken out publicly about the crash since 2010 when he opened up during an interview with Good Morning America. "I pray every day that I will be able to deal with it. It's still at this point it's too much to think about," he said at the time, per the Daily Mail. "It's something that I carry with me every day."
Nick Hogan suffered a health scare
Nick Hogan experienced a troubling health incident in January 2018 when he passed out near Hulk Hogan's Clearwater, Fla. home, The Blast reported. Sources told the outlet Nick was hospitalized, and Hulk later tweeted that his son had spent "12 hrs" in the emergency room.
It's unclear what exactly happened to Nick, but his family linked the scare to his ambition. "He just overdid it with work," an insider told the outlet, noting how Nick had "just been training so hard and didn't eat enough that day."
The source also revealed that Nick had nabbed a new job at Dash Radio, where he's been "working very hard on his career" and focusing on its "electronic music operation."
Nick touched on his dedication to music in a 2014 interview with Go To Whitney, sharing, "Music has been in the family... I started playing drums when I was 11, producing music when I was 15, and DJing at 18. I went to school for music production. I'm having a blast with it, it's really cool."
Nick Hogan is friendly with this 'Jersey Shore' cast member
As a former reality star, it makes sense Nick Hogan has rubbed shoulders with fellow celebs in the industry. One such pal is Jersey Shore star DJ Pauly D, who has enjoyed a long and successful career in the music business. "He's my boy," Nick told Go To Whitney in 2014. "I've opened for Pauly a few times. He's a really terrific guy, I love him to death."
Speaking of reality TV, Nick has a positive perspective on the industry that first gave him a platform. "I don't think I've ever regretted appearing on reality TV, but there are moments where I wonder what life would have been like if I hadn't been on reality TV," he told the Chicago Tribune. "I've found myself in certain places – maybe where fortunate things happen – and have realized how blessed I am to be in that situation."
It sounds like Nick is pretty centered these days, all things considered.