Hulk Hogan’s ‘Real American Beer’ Sued After Woman Hit in Head With Can

An Akron woman is suing Hulk Hogan and his Real American Beer Company after being hit in the head with a can at one of his events last year.

On August 19, 2024, Michelle Harlukowicz was at Thirsty Cowboys in Ohio for a promotional event hosted by Real American Beer. That was when Hogan and other members of the team got the crowd fired up for the new beer and began to chuck some cans into the crowd.

Harlukowicz was then hit in the head with one. She alleges that she had an “open wound to her forehead” after being pelted with one of the singles, according to Fox 8. She needed 10 stitches after being struck.

Hulk Hogan & Real American Beer Sued for Negligence Causing Injury

“It was pretty big,” her attorney Eric Tayfel told the outlet. “She ended up needing a number of stitches to her head, and she’s going to have some permanent scarring from that.”

Real American Beer, along with Thirsty Cowboys, who are also named in the case, now face a lawsuit accusing them of negligence following the injury. Tayfel filed the suit on Feb. 10 and is seeking damages for his client’s medical expenses, pain, and suffering along with her emotional distress.

The details of the incident do suggest this wasn’t an overreaction, though you never truly know. That being said, the police did respond to the scene but did not file anything because they had no clue what promoter was responsible for throwing the can that hit Harlukowicz.

The woman said she had no idea a beer was being thrown at her which meant she was unable to attempt to dodge the can. There are also pictures allegedly attached to the case that show a beer-can-sized mark on her forehead.

The idea of throwing anything into the crowd during an event like this isn’t the issue. Tossing a t-shirt or a ball into a large group isn’t going to cause damage. A full can of beer? That could hurt someone, obviously.

I’d like to imagine that whoever was throwing these wasn’t dropping back like Patrick Mahomes and tossing overhand rockets. If you’re going to give the fans beer, a light underhanded throw is the way to go. I’m sure the more this gets investigated there will be some sort of video footage that can provide more insight into what exactly happened.

Hulk Hogan launched his brew last summer and has quickly found success with the brand, so much so that he inked a partnership with WWE.