Nicholas Bollea, better known as Nick Hogan thanks to his dad’s celebrity status, has been arrested in Clearwater, Florida.
Bollea, the son of legendary pro wrestler Terry “Hulk Hogan” Bollea, was arrested Saturday for DUI, according to Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office records.
The records indicate that Bollea declined to take a sobriety test during the arrest.
The PCSO records show that the 33-year-old was released on a $500 bond.
According to TMZ, a post on Bollea’s Instagram account indicated he was at a bikini contest at Hogan’s Hangout, his father’s Clearwater restaurant on Friday night, shortly before the Saturday morning arrest.
Social media posts from the restaurant said Bollea and his famous father would be hosting the event.
Typically, a DUI arrest that doesn’t follow a serious accident isn’t especially noteworthy, even when involving a celebrity’s son.
But this one is noteworthy because of something that happened 15 years ago — also in Clearwater.
As the Tampa Bay Times reported, Bollea was involved in a deadly car accident in 2007.
Authorities say the then-17-year-old was racing a friend when his car careened off the road and wrapped around a tree.
While Bollea largely emerged unscathed, the same cannot be said for his passenger and friend, Marine John Graziano.
The accident left Graziano with severe brain damage, and he now requires everyday assistance.
Bollea’s arrest Saturday — particularly given the location and circumstances — did not go unnoticed by Graziano’s mother, who tore into him when speaking with TMZ.
Debra Graziano told the outlet that Bollea exhibited a “total lack of respect for what [he] did to another person’s life and you’re still driving reckless.”
She continued, “I can only pray that at some point in his life, while he still has the chance, that he turns his life around. Until then I hope no one else gets hurt.”
Finally, Graziano said that while she doesn’t have much to be thankful about regarding the tragic situation of her son, there was one blessing she could count.
“I grieve the virtual loss of my son on a daily basis,” she told TMZ. “I thank God daily that at least I have John here with us at home.”
The family of John Graziano is weighing in on Nick Hogan’s recent DUI arrest. https://t.co/1DBImpRAvO https://t.co/1DBImpRAvO
— TMZ (@TMZ) November 20, 2023
The incident quickly spread on social media (Nick Bollea’s social media accounts have since all been turned to private), where the gravity of it all wasn’t lost even on professional internet trolls:
Nick Hogan has already been to prison for paralyzing his best friend in a drunk driving accident…it looks like he didn’t learn much from that experience. https://t.co/RRToy3I3re
— Alex Stein #99 (@alexstein99) November 18, 2023
“Nick Hogan has already been to prison for paralyzing his best friend in a drunk driving accident…it looks like he didn’t learn much from that experience,” notable prank artist and provocateur Alex Stein posted to X in a seemingly straightforward message.
