Laila Ali, former professional boxer and the daughter of Muhammad Ali, recently opened up about Hulk Hogan’s claim that a phone call from her stopped him from committing suicide in 2007. This week on The Tomorrow Show Ali said she found out about Hogan’s claim when a friend called her after seeing him say it on TV.
“I haven’t talked to him since so I’m like, ‘wow, I saved your life and you don’t even call me!” Ali told The Tomorrow Show. “I haven’t talked to him since that whole story broke. We didn’t have a big relationship, but I’m saying if you’re going to say it publicly you should’ve maybe said something to me because I had no idea he was about to say anything. But it’s not a big deal, what can I say? I can’t say much, I’m glad I saved his life. Love you Hulk!”
During a promotional tour for his 2009 book My Life Outside The Ring, Hogan said after his divorce he spent two days “sitting in the bathroom with a gun and a bottle of rum.” He told Meredith Vieira on NBC’s Today that Ali’s voice saved his life.
“All of a sudden the phone rang, and it was Laila,” Hogan recalled on Today. “She said, ‘Hey, what’s going on? You’re on the set. You’re all depressed. We’re worried about you. You going to be OK?'” Hogan said, which also was recounted in his book, My Life Outside the Ring. “She called with no agenda, just to say hi and check on me. It snapped me out of it. At that moment I switched gears. I got sick and tired of being sick and tired. Her voice saved my life, it really did.”
You can watch Ali’s full interview here.
