Hulk Hogan speaks out

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

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Hulk Hogan, also known as Terry Bollea, spoke to Larry King Tuesday night.

ST. PETERSBURG (Bay News 9) -- As his son continues to serve time in the Pinellas County jail for his role in a car crash that seriously injured a friend, famed wrestler Hulk Hogan spoke out on Larry King Live on Tuesday night.

Hogan, whose legal name is Terry Bollea, spoke about the Aug. 26 crash that has left son Nick Bollea's friend John Graziano hospitalized.

Terry Bollea also spoke about Nick's jail sentence, his feelings about the Graziano family and controversial comments he made while visiting his son in jail.

"What most people don't realize is that Nick never left my home that day with the intention of anything happening. John and Nick were best friends. John was living with me at my house. He's been part of my family since he was 17," Terry Bollea told King. "He (John) had clothes at our home in LA and Florida. When we moved to Miami his stuff was there, so we took him on trips and vacations with us so. In no way ever did Nick ever intend for this to happen - it was an accident."

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Graziano remains in serious condition. His family is suing the Bolleas.

Still, Terry Bollea said he still cares about John and his family and that he has given John's mother thousands of dollars for bills.

Terry Bollea also addressed his jailhouse comments about John Graziano being "aggressive and yelling at people and doing stuff."

Bollea told King that at the time, he was desperate to get Nick, 17, out of solitary confinement. Since then, Nick Bollea has been moved to a new cell with three other teenagers. Bollea said his comments made at the jail were taken out of context and that he was just trying to help his son deal with solitary confinement.

Other Terry Bollea comments that came out of the hour-long interview:

"We're not ducking and dodging, Nick is accountable," Bollea said. "He stood up like a man. I've got so much respect for him. I'm so proud of my son, that he stood up there like a man and said, 'Dad...I accept this.'"

On the allegations Nick was racing at the time of the crash:

"These were two cars heading to a restaurant, from everything that we have and the videotapes along the route," Bollea said. "The witnesses that said they were racing, is not true."

Bollea also talked about the Graziano family:

"Nothing has changed on how we feel about the Grazianos," he said. "That's why I'm so upset that these snippets that were taken out of context when I was desperate."