Hulk Hogan Accused of Firing ‘Real American Beer’ Brand Ambassador for Being Black

Update [5:20 p.m. ET]: Hulk Hogan and Real American Beer have denied the allegation. Click here to read about the denial. Original story follows: A Black social media influencer is accusing Hulk Hogan of firing her because of the color of her skin. Essence Jenai claims she was hired to promote his new product, Real American Beer , but her contract was ended early. She says she wasn't given a reason for the termination and went on to see several white influencers promoting the brand. In a Sunday TikTok video that has been viewed more than 100,000 times, Jenai alleges that Hogan paid her to be a brand ambassador for one week but fired her after one day on the job. The influencer shared text messages that informed her contract with Real American Beer was terminated and that she had "done nothing wrong," but the events were "canceled completely." The next day, Jenai says she noticed the events continued as scheduled with caucasian brand ambassadors present. In the video, Jenai shared a pair of photos. The first, allegedly taken Tuesday, showed her and another influencer of color holding up cans of Hogan's beers. The next photo, which Jenai says is from the very next day, shows two white influencers on a boat promoting the brand. "Idk why ... but these are the new brand ambassadors he hired," Jenai wrote. Jenai first shared the allegation Saturday in a TikTok video that showed her posing with Hogan and his beer. "POV: Hulk Hogan paid you to be a brand ambassador and canceled your contract the next day because he realized you were a BLACK brand ambassador," Jenai wrote in the video. Users expressed their thoughts in the comments section.

"find a civil rights lawyer! this was definitely discrimination," an individual commented.

Hogan, whose real name is Terry Boella, launched Real American Beer in June . The light lager, clearly gunning for Bud Light's spot in the American marketplace, clocks in at 4.2% ABV and touted a "well-balanced taste." VinePair reported on the launch of Real American Beer on July 3 in a piece titled, "On 'Real American Beer,' a Real American Bummer."

"It's not particularly novel for washed-up celebrities to launch drinks brands, nor is it novel for beers to look to Flag Code violations in lieu of a marketing program," the author, Dave Infante, wrote. "Real American Beer is corny and lazy and will almost certainly vanish into the ether within a few years, victim of Boella's fading fame, or the brutal realities and razor-thin margins of the beer aisle's [bottom shelf] sub-premium segment, or both."

The outlet reported that Hogan promoted his beer on "Fox and Friends," and shared his rationale for starting the brand.

"I had this crazy idea because I saw how competitive the beer industry was, and I saw what happened with Bud Light and their whole promotion that crashed and burned," Hogan explained. "I saw this crazy open lane, and it reminded me of what needed to be done in this country, you know, because we're much more alike than we are different. And I just thought this is so much bigger than politics because if you can't communicate and you can't talk, you're not going to get anywhere, you know, with your discussions, your discussions with people getting along. So I said I want to create a beer that's for Republicans and Democrats, doesn't matter what sex you are, doesn't matter what your race is, where you're from or what you believe in."

Hogan has not commented on Jenai's allegations. Yet, should Jenai's claims be true, it appears the former wrestler and reality star's rhetoric about his beer brand being inclusive regardless of race, sex, class and political affiliations may only be true to a point. This allegation may not come as a huge shock. Hogan is notoriously a Donald Trump supporter, and in June he expressed ambitions of running alongside the convicted felon and Republican nominee as vice president, according to The Daily Mail. Like many members of the American far right, it seems Hogan touts "free speech" and fighting cancel culture only when it serves his interests .

Hulk Hogan — Another Orange Celebrity With a Controversial Past

The Guardian reported in 2015 that the wrestler, who appears to be quite partial to the same spray tan shade as the former U.S. President , faced controversy and was fired from World Wrestling Entertainment after the star was caught on tape disparaging his daughter's boyfriend, a Black man. The star called his daughter's boyfriend the N-word.

"I am a racist, to a point," the wrestler said on the tape, before using the racial slur.

After Gawker covered Hogan's rant, the star sued the outlet to the tune of $100 million for libel. NPR reported in June 2016 that Gawker ended up filing for bankruptcy after a judge ordered the outlet to pay $140 million for invading Hogan's privacy. Things turned around for Hogan when he was admitted back into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018, according to the BBC . Hogan alleged that he apologized many times and was educating himself with young people to "learn from his mistake." After being brought back into the WWE Hall of Fame, Hogan said he had been "praying for this day." Whether or not Hogan actually changed in practice or was merely issuing empty platitudes remains unclear, but this incident with Jenai is certainly not the best foot forward from a beer brand that claims to want to cater to a diverse "American" audience. Regardless, Jenai appears to have the internet's support behind her.

"It's his version of 'real american,'" a user commented. "Now show him real america and sue."

[botmc-promo]