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Hulk Hogan Accused Of 'Legal Shenanigans' In Divorce

File photo

Hulk Hogan, left, appears with his wife, Linda Bollea, during an interview with Larry King on CNN on July 28, 2005.

By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 25, 2008

Updated: 01/25/2008 01:20 pm

CLEARWATER - In a divorce-related court filing this week, Linda Bollea accused her estranged husband, Hulk Hogan, of "legal shenanigans" – including trying to dupe her into signing a post-nuptial agreement and hiding millions that were made in a real estate transaction.

Bollea, who filed for divorce in November, is asking a judge to step in and stop the famed former wrestler from using any of the money from the real estate sale, according to a motion her attorneys filed Wednesday. She also is asking that a judge freeze Hogan's assets.

In her seven-page motion – called the wife's emergency motion for temporary injunction with notice – Bollea says "a marital residence in Florida" was sold for about $10 million in August, the same month their son, Nick Bollea, was involved in a wreck that left a friend critically injured – and exposed his wealthy parents to the possibility of a civil suit.

According to real estate records, a home in Miami which the Bolleas owned sold for $17 million in August.

The following month, Linda Bollea said, her husband introduced her to Tampa attorney Les Barnett, with the idea that Barnett would represent them jointly regarding estate planning. However, she said, Barnett and Hogan worked together to draft a post-nuptial agreement Hogan wanted her to sign.

She said as a result of these conversations she unwittingly gave Hogan and Barnett "confidential information" that can now be used to her detriment in the couple's divorce proceedings, the filing says. Bollea does not say what that confidential information is.

As a result of these "legal shenanigans," Bollea filed for divorce, the motion says. She says Barnett then referred Hogan, who also goes by the name Terry Bollea, to Ann Kerr, who is now one of his divorce attorneys.

Because of what she described as her husband's "suspicious" behavior late last year, she said she removed $1.5 million from their accounts, the filing says. But, she says, she has not spent any of that money.

She also said Hogan's attorney, Kerr, told her attorney, Marianne Kircher, that he had removed money from various trust accounts with Morgan Stanley, but would return it. Later, Bollea's attorneys received Morgan Stanley statements saying no money was ever withdrawn, which Bollea and her attorneys apparently don't believe.

Before she filed for divorce, both she and Hogan had to consent to withdraw money from the trust accounts, her motion says.

At a different point, another of Linda Bollea's attorneys, O. Stephen Thacker, was told by Kerr that the money taken out of the accounts had been placed into a limited liability corporation, and that neither Bollea nor Hogan had access to it. Only a third-party general partner, identified in court documents as Eric Bishoff, had control over the money.

Bishoff and Hogan had done business together when both were in the wrestling industry, the court document says.

Aside from the $17 million sale of the Miami home, plus the value of other real estate mentioned in previously-filed court documents, it is not stated in court documents how much cash is in the trust accounts.

Linda Bollea and her attorneys have accused her estranged husband and his attorneys of failing to provide documents on the transfer and accounting of the couple's money, which is required in all divorce proceedings.

"There has been complete lack of candor on the husband's side of this case," the motion states.

"The wife fears that unless the husband is enjoined in any matter from further dissipating, secreting or otherwise disposing of the proceeds from the sale of [the Miami] house, the husband will continue to spend in secret the proceeds received from the aforesaid amounts," her motion says.

"The assets constitute a substantial portion of the parties' marital assets," she said.

Kerr, Hogan's divorce attorney, did not return a phone call seeking comment.

In August, the same month the Miami house was sold, Nick Bollea crashed his Toyota Supra in Clearwater, leaving his passenger, friend and Iraq war veteran John Graziano, with brain damage. Graziano remains at a veterans hospital in Tampa.

Nick Bollea has been charged with reckless driving involving serious bodily injury, and his case continues to wind through the judicial system. Graziano's mother, Debra, is the guardian tending to her son's medical needs, while an independent guardian has been appointed to tend to his assets.

Graziano's mother and father, Edward, have intimated they intend to sue the Hogans.

George Tragos, John Graziano's attorney, said he thought the divorce would help John Graziano rather than hurt him in the event a lawsuit is filed.

"No one knows where you stuff is more than your wife," said Tragos. "Your wife knows all the secrets and it's in her best interest to have all her assets accounted for. I believed during the divorce all the assets would be revealed."

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

Reader Comments

Posted by ( WellWater ) on January 25, 2008 at 10:12 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

What a day! First came the Hectoring, and now it's legal shenanigans.

Whats this town coming to?

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Hulk Hogan Accused Of 'Legal Shenanigans' In Divorce

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