“The CEO of Gym Positivity,” Joey Swoll, has resigned from social media. On July 29, 2025, Joey Swoll issued an apology after reposting a video of him dressed as Hulk Hogan. Fans expressed discontent, pointing to racial comments Hogan has made in the past.
For the past few years, Joey Swoll has led the charge in making gyms safer, more welcoming environments. He’s constantly defending people who are mocked without consent, laying out why it’s best to avoid recording inside gyms.
The fitness community was rocked by the sudden passing of Terry Eugene Bollea, well-known as Hulk Hogan, who succumbed to cardiac arrest at 71 years old. And while Swoll was attempting to honor his legacy, it seems his message fell on deaf ears.
Joey Swoll Apologizes to Upset Fans After Hulk Hogan Tribute Post, Quits Social Media: “I Am Done”
In an X post, Swoll gave his respect to Hogan, not knowing that it would spark widespread backlash.
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“RIP to a legend and one of my inspirations to start working out,” shared Swoll.
Joey Swoll is the most positive person in the gym community.
He didn’t need to delete this and apologise. Never apologise as it only gets the mob onto you.
Like it or not, Hulk Hogan has, and will remain to be an inspiration to a ton of people. pic.twitter.com/EIecdz1Ui0
— Bristolian Dave (@BristolianD) July 29, 2025
Swoll admits he was unaware of Hogan’s past racial comments and issued a heartfelt apology.
“I owe my followers, my community, and all of social media an apology. A few days ago, I reposted an old video of me in the gym wearing a Hulk Hogan Halloween costume on the day that he passed. Last night in my livestream, a lot of people expressed how upset and frustrated they were with me that I had posted that.”
“Instead of listening and understanding like I should have, I became defensive and said that I was posting to celebrate the wrestling icon, the person that so many of us looked up to as kids that we grew up with that made us tear our shirts and take our vitamins and say our prayers.”
He decided to take the Hogan video down and also apologized for using the term ‘colored’ to describe someone.
“I didn’t know to the extent of all the horrible things that he had done. Since last night, I have done a lot of research, talked to a few people and learned all of the horrible, horrible things that that man has done which is way more than just making a mistake and being human.”
“I have taken the videos down, and I apologize to anybody that I offended. I’m sorry. Also, during last night’s livestream, I used the word colored instead of saying person of color, which is a very outdated, very offensive term. A few moments later, somebody educated me and told me it wasn’t okay to use that, and I immediately apologized to everyone,” said Swoll.
Since the controversy, Swoll has decided to leave social media altogether:
“All the good I’ve done, all the people I’ve helped, all for nothing. When I need help, when I need kindness and empathy, NOTHING. I truly hope all the people I’ve inspired do great things in their life and pay it forward to help others and carry on my message.
But no matter how much good you do, no matter how many people you help, they just wait for a reason to hate you and tear you down. It’s true, you either die a hero, or live long enough to be the villain. Thank you for your support. Please remember me and smile. I love you all. I am done.”
Whether he’s calling out women for faking Down syndrome or condemning individuals for recording inside public gyms, Swoll has long shown dedication to helping out his fellow fitness enthusiasts.
It’s unclear if Joey Swoll will ever return to his platform given the latest developments. However, it’s safe to say he’s had a net positive impact on the gym community and will be missed by his fan base.
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Hey Joe…
“You need to do better”!