Hulk Hogan was a guest on ABC’s “Good Morning America”, sitting down with Amy Robach to address the leaked tapes that featured Hogan using racist language that ultimately led to his WWE departure. Robach noted that Hogan was a 12-time World Champion and was fighting to maintain his legacy. The cameras then cut to a teary-eyed Hulk Hogan asking if the interview could be stopped for a second so that he could compose himself.

Hogan said that out of everything that he has been through, this one hit him probably the hardest. Robach noted that Hogan had been wiped from the WWE Hall of Fame after portions of the conversation from his sex tape with Heather Clem were leaked. Hogan said that he was at the lowest point of his life when the tape was recorded and was suicidal and said that he was very mad at his daughter Brooke and was upset over a situation involving her and her then-boyfriend and said that he had no idea that he was being taped. Robach asked Hogan point blank if he was a racist, to which Hogan responded by stating that he is not a racist and never should have said what he did as it was wrong and he is embarrassed by it. Hogan said that a lot of people need to realize that you inherit things from the environment and where he grew up, it was South Tampa, a rough neighborhood, very low income and all his friends greeted each other saying that word, which he said at the time was thrown around like it was nothing. Robach asked Hogan if it was fair to say that he inherited a racial bias, to which Hogan noted is very fair and said that the environment he grew up in, all his white friends and all his black friends, they would hear that word on a daily basis and that is how they would greet me in the morning and thought it was part of the culture and the environment that he grew up in. Robach asked Hogan if he seeks the forgiveness of his fans, to which Hogan stated yes and said that he is a nice guy and he’s not the Hulk Hogan that rips his shirt off and bang, bang slams giants, he’s Terry Bollea, just a normal man.

Hogan then addressed the WWE distancing themselves from him and said that his entire career was like it never happened and it absolutely hurt. Robach noted that many big-wigs have come to Hulk Hogan’s defense, including names like The Rock and George Foreman and said that Hogan’s daughter Brooke also came to her father’s defense. Robach then read a statement that Brooke posted on Instagram at which point Hogan began breaking down and tearing up. Hogan said that if anyone should have disowned him, it should have been Brooke and she should have been the one to throw him out like the trash, but instead, Brooke showed him more love than anybody. Robach then asked Hogan what Brooke said to him, at which point Hogan asked to stop for a second once again so that he could compose himself. Hogan said that his daughter was so supportive of him and explained that Brooke was the direction of his attack and said that he wasn’t mad at her then-boyfriend as he was at Brooke when the tape was recorded and claimed that Brooke said that she doesn’t need to forgive him as she was not mad at him. Hogan closed out by saying that just because a person makes a mistake, you don’t throw them away and if everybody at their lowest point was judged on one thing they said and all of a sudden their entire career was wiped out because of one thing that they said 10-20 years ago, it would be a sad world and said that people get better every day, people get better.

Robach stated that Hogan claimed the day he was fired by WWE was the greatest day ever, because the truth will set you free and said that he is working to really raise awareness of the impact that hateful language can have and that he is hoping to make an impact and he would still give his right arm to be back involved with professional wrestling, but it remains to be seen whether that will happen. It was noted that Hogan is suing Gawker for $100million in regards to the release of the sex tape and that it will go to trial in Spring 2016. The interview then closed out noting that Hogan will address the controversy on tonight’s episode of “Nightline” on ABC.