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Linda Bollea Seeks Half Of Estate, Alimony From Hogan

AP file photo (2005)

Famed wrestler Hulk Hogan, left, appears with his wife Linda during an interview with talk show host Larry King on CNN.

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 26, 2007

Read The Divorce Petition | Special Report

CLEARWATER - In her divorce action against famed wrestler Hulk Hogan, Linda Bollea says she wants her share of two properties in Clearwater, which together are worth more than $9 million.

And she wants alimony, child support and attorney's fees.

These details are contained in the petition she filed last week in Pinellas Circuit Court. Her marriage of 24 years to Terry Bollea, a k a Hogan, is "irretrievably broken," the lawsuit says.

Aside from the property mentioned, the petition is garden variety and contains boilerplate language found in any typical filing. Like any spouse, Bollea is asking for an equitable distribution - or half - of the couple's assets. Under Florida law, a wife, or a husband, is entitled to as much.

The divorce action comes the same month the couple's 17-year-old son, Nick Bollea, was arrested in a wreck that left the teen's friend, Iraq War veteran John Graziano, grievously injured. With minimal brain wave activity, the 22-year-old Graziano is expected to spend the rest of his life in a nursing home.

Both of Graziano's parents - who are estranged and are represented by different lawyers - have intimated they intend to file suit against the Bollea family.

On Monday, the issue of guardianship was settled, said George Tragos, the attorney for Graziano's mother, Debra. She will be the guardian tending to her son's medical needs, while an independent guardian, Peter Musante, appointed by a judge Monday, will tend to John Graziano's assets, Tragos said.

Linda Bollea's divorce action will have no affect on any imminent lawsuit, Tragos said. The liability is established at the time of the car wreck, and any legal action taken afterward cannot change that, he said.

In her lawsuit, Linda Bollea seeks child support for Nick, and a life insurance policy to cover child support in the event Hogan dies. The couple also have a daughter, but because she is an adult she does not qualify for child support.

Bollea wants wherever she decides to live to be Nick Bollea's primary residence, with Hogan allowed liberal visitation, the petition states. She also wants Hogan to pay for Nick Bollea's health insurance, the petition states.

Linda Bollea wants the couple's assets equitably distributed - including the family's $7.2 million mansion on Willadel Drive, which has a gazebo, two boat davits, a pool, a fountain and three fireplaces. She also wants a share of a separate $2 million waterfront home, the petition states.

Neither property has a mortgage on it, the petition states.

The couple also have a condominium under construction in Las Vegas; Linda Bollea wants a share of that, too.

If the two cannot work out an arrangement, the properties should be ordered sold, with the money divided equally between the two, the petition states.

Linda Bollea also says she does not have enough money to pay a lawyer, though Hogan does. Court records do not indicate that Hogan has been served yet with divorce papers.

Rumors about problems in the Bollea marriage have circulated for years. In the family's reality television show, "Hogan Knows Best," their daughter, Brooke, tells her mother, "You guys argue way too much," as the two drive around in a sport utility vehicle. Linda at one point says, "We get to the point where we hate each other."

"Would you be happier divorced?" Brooke asks.

A spokeswoman for VH1, which airs the show, said the program has been "hugely successful" for VH1, and is one of the network's highest-rated series after four seasons. A decision about a fifth cycle hadn't been made when production wrapped on the current season this summer.

The fate of the show was undecided after Nick Bollea's arrest, and it still remains undecided in light of Linda Bollea's divorce petition, the spokeswoman said.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.

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