Hulk Hogan Says His Divorce, Son’s Accident Almost Killed Him

Somber is not exactly the word fans think of when they consider former wrestling great Hulk Hogan. But that’s exactly how Hogan sounds when he talks about some of the elements of his life outside the ring. Hogan admitted recently that he considered suicide after his divorce from his now ex-wife Linda and after a 2007 automobile accident that his son endured. Hogan’s new memoir, "My Life Outside the Ring," details some of the tribulations he faced after those events, and Hogan admitted that he relied heavily on prescription anxiety medication Xanax and alcohol to cope.

Said Hogan in an appearance on television this week, "My son had this horrible accident with his best friend. My wife and I had a marriage that had been unraveling for a long time. It was a bad situation. All of a sudden I got into this downward spiral and started thinking real negatively." The accident that Hogan’s son lived through left his friend with permanent brain damage. Hogan speaks of his suicidal moments in the book, noting that he had been holding a gun to his head when a friend from "American Gladiators" called him.

Said Hogan, "All of a sudden the phone rang, and it was Laila, and she said, ‘Hey, what’s going on? You’re on the set. You’re all depressed. We’re worried about you. You going to be OK?’" Hogan went on to say, "She called with no agenda, just to say hi and check on me. It snapped me out of it. At that moment I switched gears. I got sick and tired of being sick and tired. Her voice saved my life, it really did."