Los Angeles [US], September 18 : Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan's ex-wife, Linda, has spoken out following the late star's exclusion from the In Memoriam segment at the Emmy Awards earlier this week.
According to Deadline, Linda, during a conversation with a news publication, speculated that the Television Academy excluded him from Sunday's awards show segment due to his outspoken conservative politics, particularly after speaking at last year's Republican National Convention.
The wrestling legend died at the age of 71 in July from a heart attack.
Hogan, born Terry Bollea, was one of the most celebrated figures in professional wrestling, with his time in the WWF (now WWE) securing him legendary status. However, despite his cultural and professional impact, Linda believes his political affiliations may have played a role in the decision to exclude him from the prestigious segment.
Speaking with a publication, as reported by Deadline, Linda candidly shared her thoughts: "I can't prove that. It's just a guess, but they should have named him!"
"WWF at the top of the hour when he came on to wrestle...[Hulk] had the highest ratings on NBC, beating all other competition for that time slot for years!" added Linda. "I really can't tell you why they left him out... just a guess considering the way he was treated at his last appearance in LA."
Hogan's support for Donald Trump and his speech at the Republican National Convention had drawn boos earlier this year when he made a surprise appearance during WWE's Netflix debut.
Beyond wrestling, Hogan had acted in films and TV shows, and starred with his family in VH1's reality series Hogan Knows Best, which aired from 2005 to 2007.