Bubba appears on Stern to talk the Hogan sex tape drama
Credit: Mike Johnson and Pwinsider.com
Radio show host Bubba the Love Sponge appeared this morning on The Howard Stern show this morning on Sirius/XM Radio. The conversation was also simulcast on Bubba's radio show in Florida. I am currently listening to the interview. Here is a recap. I will update as I continue to listen. The appearance started with a song Bubba playing that ripped on Hogan for suing him.
Stern opened up by saying that Bubba used to tell him that Stern and Hogan were the only people he'd let sleep with his wife. Bubba said he always said that in jest because he knew Stern wouldn't do it. He said it all started at his wedding when the preacher "fretted" over his then-wife Heather and they would make jokes and parodies about it. Stern said that she was a beautiful woman.
Stern said "man to man", he couldn't believe Bubba wanted to share his wife with another man. Bubba said, "You're probably right about that." Stern asked what went on with himself to allow that. He said that Bubba's scene seemed "pretty dark." Bubba said he's more conservative than people would think and was in a "different spot" in his life at that point. He said that he couldn't go into what "spot" he was in. He admitted he was insecure and depressed. Bubba said at the time, Hogan's marriage was crumbling and he was depressed too. Bubba said, "None of it makes sense, Howard. None of it makes sense."
Stern said that it wasn't a secret and they were all in on it. Bubba agreed to that. Stern asked him what it was like knowing Hogan was sleeping with his wife and then walking out and saying, "OK man, see you later." Bubba admitted some anger and jealousy. He said the situation was deep and "unexplainable." Bubba said "It's not right in any capacity and I'm not proud of it."
Stern asked Bubba if he and Hogan ever discussed the situation. Bubba never really answered that but admitted it was both "weird and business as usual" when he would see Hogan afterward. Bubba said he didn't want to go too deeply into that conversation.
Stern noted that in the song Bubba played, Hogan was called a "scumbag" for suing Bubba and his ex-wife. Bubba said the reason he's so mad is because they were friends. He said that all parties knew everything.
Stern asked if Hogan knew about the tape. Bubba responded, "All parties knew about everything."
Bubba said when he was going through child custody issues, his attorneys advised him to "camera up" his home so there could be no allegations that he did anything to his kid that he couldn't disprove. Stern compared it to Richard Nixon, saying he made the "classic mistake" like Nixon, who "taped everything he did and that's what did him in." Bubba said that unlike Nixon, there are "no holes" in his tapes.
Bubba said Hogan lived with him for three months. He said that for 15 years, he's been Hogan's "insurance policy to cover his ass for everything" and that's why he's angry.
Bubba then made is personal, bringing up the Nick Hogan arrest and jail sentence. He said that when Nick Hogan did what he did and the "media was going insane" because a "marine is a vegetable for life." He said that when Hogan spoke to Nick in jail, he didn't say "we just have to get through this", he blamed John Graziano for the accident and began playing clips from the jailhouse conversations.
Stern cut Bubba off and noted that he was "right there" through all of that with Hogan. Robin Quivers commented that Bubba "can't change [his] mind now." Bubba said he can change his mind when he took care of his friend when it wasn't a popular stance. He said he looked like a dumb-ass for defending Hogan and taking it "soft" on him when his son acted like a "dumb-ass and didn't learn his lesson".
Bubba continued, noting that now "when we are in the trenches for something this bad", they could have talked about it but instead he named Bubba in a $100 million lawsuit. He said "no one held a gun to [Hogan's] head" and the real problem is who leaked the tape. He said that's the problem.
Stern said that Hogan thinks Bubba leaked the tape. Bubba said that he didn't and doesn't know who did. He said that he wishes he could help Hogan and Hogan could help him. He was asked who has access to those tapes and said he didn't know. Bubba said he's never seen the tape. Stern asked where the tapes were held. He said that he wasn't going to go into the particulars, because he was just served with a cease and desist from Hogan's attorneys on the subject.
Bubba said it was amazing because when he was needed to bury Randy Savage and Hogan's ex-wife Linda and anyone else who wronged Hogan, he used Bubba's show as "his poison pen", that was fine but now that there's a situation about something that they've been through, Hogan instead files a $100 million lawsuit.
Bubba said that he and Hulk Hogan have spoken and spoke before Hogan appeared on Stern's show last week. He said that his opinion is that since Hulk can't "play the victim card to save his marriage" and to save "whatever he is trying to save", Hogan has switched gears and all bets are all, "all friendships are off" and he's "trying to cover his ass." Bubba said he's seen it happen before with Hogan, but he's never been the brunt of it. Bubba said that he's not a "flip-flopper" or a bad guy. He's just not going to take it "anymore."
Stern theorized that Hogan is upset because the tapes are his and he didn't destroy them and is assuming Bubba is the one putting them out there. Bubba said that when none of that proves to be true, Hogan will have now ruined an incredible friendship. He said that Hogan was his best man and the Godfather of his son and now it's all done.
Bubba said that the real victim in this is his ex-wife, even though they didn't divorce amicably. Stern said she comes out looking bad. Bubba said that Hogan doesn't care about her or him, just about himself. He said that he's heard rumors there are other tapes of them but he doesn't think that there are. He said whoever has the tape has probably cut it up and made it a "Best of Series."
Stern read from a piece he said was on Philly.com which quoted a source claiming they had seen other videos with Hogan and Heather as well as tapes with "B and C List celebrities". Stern said this was proof that she was getting hurt from the publicity. Bubba said that he didn't know of any other situation.
Stern continued reading, noting that the story claimed Hogan was seen using the "n" word in a derogatory way on the tape as well. Bubba said that he hasn't seen the tapes and wished he could "give a better testimony" as to what's on the tapes to validate people's opinions. He said he's never seen the tapes of Hogan and his wife.
Stern asked Bubba if it was a situation where he was "getting off" on their tryst. Bubba said it was a situation where all three were up "to speed" on what was going on and his deal was "not getting off at all." Stern asked him what he was getting out of the situation and Bubba immediately said, "Nothing! You know what I got? I got made out to look like a stupid-ass chump." He asked Stern if he thought that if Bubba had anything to do with the tapes leaking, wouldn't he edit himself out so he didn't look stupid?