Heather Clem Steps Out Publicly After Hulk Hogan’s Death: First Photos, Old Scandal Resurfaces

Quinn Parker here, spilling my coffee and the tea all at once because hold onto your hats—this one’s spicy. I saw the photos and the timeline and I have THOUGHTS about Heather Clem’s first public appearance since Hulk Hogan died, and yes, we are unpacking the mess, the money, and the lingering fallout.

Heather Clem was photographed Monday in Tampa, Florida, making a low-key convenience store run in a sports bra and yoga pants, marking her first known public sighting since the legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan passed away last month after suffering a heart attack. The images were first reported by TMZ, which also reminded readers that Clem is central to the infamous 2012 sex tape that involved Hogan and Clem while she was married to radio host Bubba The Love Sponge. That tape upended friendships, prompted lawsuits, and left scars that flipped between public spectacle and private regret.

Let’s rewind a smidge for clarity: the 2012 incident involved a recording of intimate acts between Hogan and Clem, filmed while Clem was married to Bubba. Media outlets and court filings detailed a complicated arrangement in which Clem and Bubba allegedly had an understanding allowing her to be with other men as long as the encounters were recorded. When the tape leaked, Hulk Hogan sued; TMZ and legal reporting at the time documented the settlement and apology that followed. Reports say Hulk and Bubba ultimately settled with a nominal $5,000 payment and an on-air apology, but sources close to the situation told media that whatever truce existed was frayed beyond repair, and Clem and Bubba later divorced.

Fast-forward to this month: Hogan’s death brought the old scandal back into the spotlight. TMZ broke news of Hogan’s passing and subsequently covered Clem’s public sighting. Bubba told TMZ he regretted not being able to apologize to Hogan before his death, and Hogan’s daughter Brooke Hogan later reassured Bubba on his radio show that her father did not believe Bubba was the leaker of the sex tape. Those quotes and conversations have been documented by entertainment outlets covering the aftermath of Hogan’s death and the ripple effects on the people tied to the 2012 scandal.

Why does Clem’s quick grocery run matter now? Because the optics of a person once at the center of a headline-grabbing controversy making a subdued, everyday appearance after the death of a man tied to that controversy is exactly the kind of cultural punctuation that tabloids and documentaries hunger for. TMZ, which has compiled timelines and photographs, is also promoting a new documentary that delves deep into Hogan’s life and controversies, titled “TMZ Presents: The Real Hulk Hogan,” set to drop tonight. The doc reportedly revisits the sex tape saga along with other career-defining moments, offering fresh interviews and archival material that reframe the narrative for a new audience.

Public reaction to Clem’s sighting is predictably split: some fans treat it as closure for a scandal that tainted a beloved wrestling icon’s later years, while others see it as a reminder that messy, human stories rarely end cleanly. Key voices in this replayed drama include Bubba, who expressed public regret, and Brooke Hogan, who tried to set the record straight on who leaked the tape—both cited by TMZ in recent coverage. The settlement details, the on-air apology, the divorce, and the renewed attention in light of Hogan’s death are facts corroborated by multiple entertainment news reports and public radio appearances from the principals involved.

So here’s the takeaway with a notebook and a third cup of coffee: Heather Clem’s sighting in Tampa is more than a human-interest photo op. It’s the latest beat in an ongoing story about fame, betrayal, and the long tail of a scandal that never quite folded neatly. Documentary drops tonight, old wounds get reopened, and the public will be watching how the last chapters of this soap-opera-esque saga are written. I have feelings about all of it, and I will happily keep saying them until someone pries the coffee cup from my hand.

Okay, I need to calm down after that!

Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ, Radio show interviews (Bubba The Love Sponge, Brooke Hogan)
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed