If only Hogan knew best.
It’s obvious what 17-year-old Nick Bollea really needed. A normal life in the steadfast lane.
Instead, he’s been living in his Hulkster dad’s fishbowl, VH1 reality-TV world; being home-schooled away from the masses; and having every opportunity to indulge an adrenaline-rush, fast-car fantasy. “My son, the aspiring, professional drift driver.” Excellent.
Multiple speeding tickets – and a consequent restricted license – were mere precursors to that horrific traffic accident in Clearwater resulting from his less-than-prudent driving. Young Bollea remains under investigation in the wreck that left a passenger in critical condition.
The Hulkster then hired Barry Cohen, who you don’t hire unless you look really, really guilty about something. Ultimately, lawyer and client family parted ways.
Meanwhile, the Bollea-Hogan family was taking a media beating and apparently tried to counter it with a proactive strategy. Linda Bollea, Nick’s mom, gave an interview to a local daily. Among the outtakes: “What 17-year-old doesn’t get tickets?” And she apparently took him out of Clearwater Central Catholic High School, because she didn’t want him exposed to drugs and fights. He has a GED on his incipient resume.
Suggestion: Give Hill & Knowlton a call. If the media scrutiny, which you’d previously been courting fervidly, is now too unkind and invasive, bring in some PR pros. The sort of folks that will say it’s never a good idea to go public rationalizing 100-mph speeding violations or slandering one of the better schools around.
It’s, sadly, reached this point of contrived damage control.
If only Hogan knew best.