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Linda Hogan: I was afraid Hulk would kill me

The personal woes of the Hogan family have played out in headlines over the last few years — from Hulk Hogan’s alleged infidelities to his divorce from ex-wife Linda to their son’s car accident, which left a family friend profoundly injured. But according to Linda, there were even more problems that the public never knew about.In her new book, “Wrestling the Hulk: My Life Against the R

The personal woes of the Hogan family have played out in headlines over the last few years — from Hulk Hogan’s alleged infidelities to his divorce from ex-wife Linda to their son’s car accident, which left a family friend profoundly injured. But according to Linda, there were even more problems that the public never knew about.

In her new book, “Wrestling the Hulk: My Life Against the Ropes,” Linda claims she feared for her life while married to the famed wrestler.

“He tore my shirt. He threw lamps. He held me down on the bed with his hands around my throat during arguments, slamming doors, pounding walls,” she wrote in the autobiography. “I was always afraid he would kill me in one of his rages.”

During a Tuesday appearance on TODAY, the reality TV star explained what she believed was behind the rage.

“Drugs were always around — prescribed,” Linda told host Matt Lauer. “(Wrestlers have) always got injuries, you know. There was a constant flow of pain pills, anti-inflammatories, steroids — a lot of them did take steroids. Combined? It makes somebody… you don’t know what you’re dealing with.”

According to Linda, the alleged drug use changed Hulk. He was no longer the man she married. Instead, he became a man she feared.

“He did not feel remorse — and to this day he’s never apologized for any of his actions — but that is something that scared me,” she sail. “I did not want to be a statistic like Nicole (Brown) Simpson.”

And that, Linda explained, is why she remained quiet about all of this for so long.

“I was afraid to say anything,” she revealed. “Had I said something, the carpet would have been pulled up from underneath his career. I don’t know what my kids would have done. They were little at the time. It’s scary. It’s a very scary position. You don’t know how far they’re going to go. One fight can escalate and turn into something you don’t want.”

Hulk had no comment when contacted by TODAY about Linda’s claims.

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