TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hogan Appearance Was Spin, Graziano Lawyer Says

News Channel 8 photo by JIM FARQUHAR

George Tragos and Kim Kohn speak to the media about their upcoming appearance on CNN Headline News.

ADVERTISEMENT

By RAY REYES and SAMARA SODOS

Published: June 11, 2008

TAMPA Hulk Hogan's appearance on the "Larry King Live" show Tuesday night was nothing but "talk" and a way to spin public perception about him, his family and his son, Nick Bollea, attorneys for the Graziano family said today.

"No matter how he tried to spin it, no matter how he tried to cry at the end, it just wasn't going to make a difference," lawyer George Tragos said. "It wasn't going to change people's minds."

Tragos and Kim Kohn represent John Graziano, 23, a friend of Bollea. The lawyers spoke to reporters today to address Hogan's appearance on King's show.

"It deserves a response," Tragos said, who added that he and Kohn were not invited by King to go on the show and have an opportunity to respond to Hogan's statements.

On Aug. 26, Bollea, 17, was involved in a car crash in Clearwater that left Graziano with a severe brain injury. Bollea pleaded no contest in May to a charge of reckless driving involving serious injury and was sentenced to eight months in jail.

Hogan, also known as Terry Bollea, told King during Tuesday's show that he was "desperately trying to keep my son from unraveling" when Nick Bollea was first placed in a Pinellas County Jail cell and their conversation were captured on tape.

"Did I say things wrong? Yes," Hogan told King. "Am I sorry? Yes."

Kohn said Hogan appeared as if he was telling viewers that his family was suffering.

"Well guess what folks? You're not going through a tenth of what John Graziano is going through," Kohn said. "This is about John Graziano and what John Graziano is going through. Not about Nick Bollea or whether he's in minimum security of maximum security."

Bollea was initially placed alone in a cell, separate from the adult inmates. Complaining about the isolation, he eventually was moved to an area of the jail where he shares a cell with other juvenile inmates.

During one taped phone call, Hogan and Bollea talked about doing another reality TV show. It was a way to comfort his son, who was inconsolable about the initial jail conditions, Hogan told King.

Hogan said the taped conversations were snippets and not whole conversations. Tragos disagreed.

"What we saw were complete thoughts, complete sentences, complete conversations," Tragos said.

He added that Hogan put on his public face Tuesday night and that the Graziano family is upset about Hogan's lack of sincerity.

Wednesday night Tragos appeared on "Showbiz Tonight" on CNN Headline News.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT