Hulk Hogan death report closes case, rejects malpractice claims and confirms natural causes ruling
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA: Nearly a year after the death of wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, the Clearwater Police Department officially ruled that he died of natural causes and closed its investigation on Friday, June 5, according to the Daily Mail.
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Gene Bollea, died on July 24 after collapsing at his Florida estate and being transported to a local hospital. The incident prompted an investigation that included a review of medical records, witness statements, surveillance footage, and concerns raised by those close to the WWE star.
Clearwater police close Hulk Hogan death case after natural causes ruling
According to the Clearwater Police Department, Hogan suffered "an attended natural death" before officials formally closed the case. The 72-page report stated that "through the course of the investigation, there has been no evidence to indicate any criminal wrongdoing related to his death."
Investigators further wrote, "Following an exhaustive review of the statements, medical records, surveillance footage from within the residence, and a visual inspection of Mr. Bollea's body, there has been no evidence to indicate the death of Terry Bollea was anything other than natural."
The department also acknowledged the cooperation of Hogan's family, including widow Sky Daily, children Nick and Brooke Hogan, and attorney Kevin Hayslett.
In its statement, the Clearwater Police Department praised their "willingness to allow our investigators access to very personal information, at a time when they were grieving and struggling," adding that it "was extremely helpful."
Authorities further noted, "We would not have had the legal justification to obtain much of the information without their cooperation."
Hulk Hogan malpractice allegations examined during investigation
Before the investigation was concluded, detectives reviewed recordings from the incident and interviewed several witnesses, including Hogan's occupational therapist, who was reportedly present when the wrestler stopped breathing and attempted to get help.
Investigators initially determined that Hogan died at a local hospital after suffering an acute myocardial infarction at his Florida home. According to law enforcement sources cited by TMZ, the occupational therapist alleged at the scene that Hogan had been the victim of medical malpractice and claimed that a surgeon had "severed" the WWE star's phrenic nerve during a recently performed surgery.
The phrenic nerve is primarily responsible for breathing, and damage to it can cause serious breathing issues. The sources also claimed that Hogan abruptly stopped breathing and did not "have a chest-clenching episode" during the cardiac arrest.
However, during a later police interview, the occupational therapist acknowledged that he was "not a neurosurgeon" and noted that he had only worked for Hogan for two weeks before the wrestler's death.
A July 2025 autopsy found that Hogan died of acute myocardial infarction and noted that he had a history of atrial fibrillation and leukemia CLL. In October 2025, the family filed a petition to extend the statute of limitations in order to complete an investigation into the medical malpractice allegations.
Brooke Hogan had also publicly voiced concerns about her father's death. Speaking to Bubba the Love Sponge in August 2025, she questioned the leukemia diagnosis, saying, "We don't have cancer that runs in our family. It seems weird.”
