Brooke Hogan broke her silence following the death of her father, Hulk Hogan, from whom she was estranged during the last two years of his life.
Hulk, whose real name is Terry Bollea, passed away on July 24 at the age of 71, after suffering a major heart attack. The wrestling legend left behind his wife, Sky Daily, and his kids Brooke and Nick, whom he welcomed with his first wife, Linda.
Brooke was estranged from her father at the time of his death
Brooke has been estranged from her family for years, and detailed the reason for the relationship breakdown with her late father in an emotional and candid Instagram post on Tuesday.
She began by writing that their “bond” had “never broken”, despite their tumultuous relationship over the years.
“When he left this earth, it felt like part of my spirit left with him. I felt it before the news even reached us,” she continued.
“I know he’s at peace now, out of pain, and in a place as beautiful as he imagined. He used to speak about this moment with such wonder and hope. Like meeting God was the greatest championship he’d ever have.”
Brooke then reminisced about her childhood, sharing that her dad felt like “home” to her. She revealed that her daughter Molly was named in his honor, and reminded her of Hulk every day.
Brooke set the record straight about their family rift
The 37-year-old went on to “clear a few things up” about their reported rift, explaining that there was no “big fight” that served as a catalyst for the breakdown of their bond.
“It was a series of private phone calls no one will ever hear, know, or understand,” she said.
“My father was confiding in me about issues weighing on his heart, both personal and business. I offered to be a life raft in whatever capacity he needed. I told him he had my support. I begged him to rest, to take care of himself.”
She revealed that Hulk suddenly distanced himself from her
Brooke added that she and her husband, former NHL player Steven Oleksy, moved to Florida to be closer to her father and to help him recover from “almost 25 surgeries”.
“Then all of a sudden, he didn’t want me at surgeries…everything started getting covered in a thick veil. It was like there was a force field around him that I couldn’t get through,” she recalled.
“He was telling me these things, being so vulnerable with me and heard my pleas, then suddenly something shifted, and he made a choice to walk the path that clearly tore at his spirit.”
Hulk welcomed Brooke and Nick with his former wife Linda
The proud mother then shared that she “had to step away to protect my heart” following a series of “respectful disagreements”.
“I know in my heart I did everything I could,” Brooke said. “He knew I would run through a burning building for him. And in many ways, along the path of life, I did. He knows how deeply, how hard and how purely I loved him. I am at peace knowing this.”
She concluded: “I’m deeply grateful for the love, tributes, and memorials from his fans and friends. His life was one worth celebrating — and always will be.”
Brooke and Steve welcomed twins Oliver and Molly in January
Brooke rose to fame after starring on her family’s reality show Hogan Knows Best from 2005 to 2007. She then chose to live a private life away from the spotlight with her husband and their twins, Oliver and Molly, whom they welcomed in January 2025.
Her mother, Linda, first hinted at the family’s estrangement from Brooke in an Instagram story in March, revealing: “Brooke doesn’t talk to us. She had twins, she got married [and] she didn’t tell us.”
Hulk and Linda divorced in 2009 after 24 years of marriage; they also welcomed their son Nick two years after Brooke’s birth in 1988.
To learn more about the Hogan family’s rift, watch below…
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