Hulk's Wife: "Legal Shenanigans" Prompted Split

Mon., Jan. 28, 2008 6:38 PM PST by Natalie Finn

Hulk Hogan's wife thinks he's trying to wrestle money away from her.

Linda Bollea stated in court documents filed this week in Florida that the American Gladiators host tried to trick her into signing a postnuptial agreement in September, after which she withdrew $1.5 million from one of their joint bank accounts to be on the safe side.

While the money she set aside has not been spent, Bollea claims, her husband's "legal shenanigans" and "suspicious behavior" prompted her to file for divorce in November.

Hogan's estranged spouse goes on to ask a judge to prevent the pro-wrestling icon from spending $10 million the family received when they sold a house in Miami and to otherwise freeze all of the money in his control, including trust accounts and corporate holdings.

Per Bollea's seven-page filing, Hogan—whose real name is Terry Bollea—introduced her to a Tampa attorney under the guise that he was going to assist them with some estate planning. She says she was then lulled into thinking it was safe to divulge private details to the lawyer, Les Barnett, who in actuality was drawing up a postnuptial agreement.

"Husband's intentionally false representations to the wife regarding Mr. Barnett were made with the sole intent to induce in the wife a false sense of security with Mr. Barnett so that she would share confidential information with him" and eventually sign the deal, states the motion filed in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court.

After steering clear of the postnup, however, Bollea is now asking for half of Hogan's assets acquired during their 23-year marriage, unspecified alimony and child support and primary custody of their 17-year-old son, Nick, who's currently facing a reckless-driving charge stemming from a car accident that left his passenger critically injured and in need of full-time care.

Hogan shot down Bollea's requests in a counterpetition filed a week after his wife took him to court, arguing she has more than enough means to support herself and share in the care of their son. He, however, would continue to provide health insurance for the family, his filing said.

Bollea's camp is also accusing Hogan and his attorneys of not being particularly forthcoming with accounting documents and other records of the couple's assets. His attorney hasn't yet commented on the latest filing.

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