INSIDE EDITION talks to Hulk Hogan's best friend about the shocking allegations made by Hogan's ex-wife that he and Hogan had a gay affair, an allegation that Hulk and he deny.
Hulk Hogan's best friend is speaking out about the shocking allegation that they had a secret gay relationship.
Ed Leslie wrestles under the name Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake. He and Hulk Hogan have been like brothers for forty years.
INSIDE EDITION's Les Trent asked Leslie, "Are you gay? Were you guys lovers?"
Leslie replied, "Absolutely not. He's been my best for my entire life."
Leslie told Trent he was blind-sided when Hogan's ex-wife Linda Hogan said in a radio interview that she believes the two wrestlers had an intimate relationship.
Trent asked, "When you heard this in the news, this allegation by Linda, what was your reaction?"
"My mouth fell open. I was in Boston and was listening to a radio station or whatever it was, and I'm listening to her talk and tell this story, and I was in shock," said Leslie.
Brutus Beefcake says he considered Linda Hogan a friend, even though she and Hulk went through a bitter divorce after 24 years of marriage.
"Who could have seen this coming? I met Linda the day after Hulk met her. He's known her one day longer than I have. So who could have ever seen something like this. For it to get this ugly, it just wasn't forseeable," said Leslie.
Now, like Hulk, he's suing Linda Hogan for defamation. He says the claim that he's gay has stunned his 15-year-old daughter.
"It's affecting not just me. It's affecting my daughter. It's affecting my whole family. My phone never stops ringing," said Leslie.
Trent asked, "Why would Linda make that allegation?"
"We can't seem to figure this out. I can't figure out why she'd want to hurt my family," said Leslie.
