In this corner… the family of international wrestling star Hulk Hogan.
And in this corner… the family of John Graziano, the 23-year-old former Marine who was critically injured in car crash involving Hogan’s son Nick.
Ding. Ding.
The smackdown between the two families is getting nasty according to a Florida newspaper, which has been following the painful recovery of the injured Graziano.
The young serviceman has been hospitalized since last August when he was a passenger in a car being driven by the pro wrestler’s son Nick Bollea. Since the accident the Bollea family including mom Linda, sister Brooke and Hulk Hogan (real name: Terry Bollea) has reportedly visited Graziano on a semi-regular basis.
But last month when Linda, Nick and Brooke showed up to the hospital with gifts, and well wishes they also brought along a swarm of paparazzi, which posted the images of the Bollea family on various celebrity websites—–a move that has infuriated the Graziano family.
According to Graziano’s attorney, the Bollea’s visit was insincere and a “total public relations stunt.” The St. Petersburg Times reports that a pending lawsuit, which has yet to be filed by the Graziano family against the Bollea’s, is the reason behind the mock goodwill gesture.
Upon learning this the Bollea’s shot back (via their attorney) and pointed out that Nick and Linda visit the still unconscious Graziano once a month while Terry drops by the hospital every five weeks.
So was the Valentine’s Day hospital visit really a PR stunt or do the Bollea’s truly care about the young man their then 17-year-old son nearly killed when his pimped out yellow Toyota Supra shot off a four-lane Florida highway and smashed into a 25-foot-tall palm tree making mincemeat of the car?
And how much does this yet-to-be filed lawsuit play in the alleged photo “set up”?
Bollea was booked on criminal charges related to the crash, including reckless driving, but has yet to appear in court to face the charges. Then there’s the matter of astronomical medical bills and the fact that the son of a multi-millionaire escaped the crash with just a few minor injuries while a financially struggling family is left to dig deep to keep their son alive.
Who to believe?