Brooke Hogan stopped speaking to her father, late WWE legend Hulk Hogan, because of the way he treated her – not because of his new wife, Sky Daily.
As per Brooke’s husband, ex-NHL player Steven Oleksy, revelations have emerged about the estrangement that occurred years leading up to Hogan’s death last month.
The legendary wrestler suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 71. By then, Hogan hadn’t spoken to his daughter Brooke, 37, for years and, as Oleksy noted, he had ‘no desire’ to meet her twins.
The family’s tensions became public earlier this year when Hogan’s ex-wife Linda accused him of being a ‘compulsive liar’ and ‘sex addict,’ while Brooke alleged she experienced ‘verbal and mental abuse’ during her upbringing. Now Oleksy has shed light on what led Brooke to sever ties with her father.
In 2023, Hogan wed his third wife, Daily. Brooke was absent from the ceremony, but her husband revealed to PEOPLE that Brooke’s lack of attendance had nothing to do with disapproval of the relationship.
In fact, Oleksy accused Hogan of pushing that false narrative.
“My wife will tell you — her decision had nothing to do with his new marriage. It was all about his treatment of (Brooke),” Oleksy stated. “She cared deeply for her father.”
Hulk Hogan and daughter Brooke, who took a ‘step back’ from the WWE icon before his death
The wrestling legend died last month at the age of 71 after suffering a cardiac arrest
Brooke welcomed twins with husband Steven Oleksy in January but Hogan never met them
However, Oleksy mentioned that Brooke faced significant backlash for supporting her father, who was embroiled in multiple scandals, including using racial slurs about her ex-boyfriend. This support had ‘severely impacted her,’ her husband explained.
Oleksy and Brooke tied the knot in June 2022 without Hogan. Oleksy claims that the wrestling legend told him he ‘doesn’t do weddings or funerals anymore.’
And the final straw, according to Oleksy, was a ‘series of phone calls’ between father and daughter when ‘there were some things said, and a lot of mistruths.’
In the two years between Hogan marrying Daily and the wrestling legend’s shock death, Oleksy stayed in touch with his wife’s family, telling PEOPLE he was trying ‘to keep that door open and understand if I should protect my wife or try to mend the relationship.’
But every conversation with his father-in-law, the former hockey player said, ‘just led me further to protect my family and my wife at all costs.’
He told PEOPLE that, Brooke’s love for her family brought ‘heartache and… many challenges that she’s faced in the public and that she still faces today because of others’ actions.’
Following Hogan’s death, Brooke released a heartbreaking statement in which she said she ‘had to step away to protect my heart.’
Oleksy claimed he tried to mend the relationship between Hogan and his daughter Brooke
He is best known for his stints with the Washington Capitals and rival Pittsburgh Penguins
‘My dad’s blood ‘runs through my veins. His eyes shine through my children. And our bond has never broken, not even in his final moments.’
She continued: ‘We had a connection deeper than words, one that spanned lifetimes. I am so grateful I knew the real version of him. Not just the one the world viewed through a carefully curated lens.
‘We shared a quiet, sacred bond, one that could be seen and felt by anyone who witnessed us together. When he left this earth, it felt like part of my spirit left with him. I felt it before the news even reached us.’
Towards the end of his life, Brooke claimed, Hogan ‘made a choice to walk the path that clearly tore at his spirit,’ adding that she ‘felt a disconnect. What followed were respectful disagreements that took an emotional toll on me.’
‘During the last two years, I had to step away to protect my heart. My husband stayed open, quietly reaching out to my dad without me knowing, trying to find a safe way back in for me. After my father passed, I read those messages, some answered, some ignored… but all of them broke my heart.’
She insisted: ‘We never had a “big fight.” My father and I never “fought.” It was a series of private phone calls no one will ever hear, know, or understand.’
Brooke and her father arrive for the MTV Video Music Awards in Miami back in 2004
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Brook won’t be left anything in her father’s will.
According to TMZ, the 37-year-old feared being caught up in a bitter financial battle in the wake of her father’s death and didn’t trust anyone in his inner circle.
So she asked to be removed as a beneficiary of his estate in 2023 – the same year as her final conversation with the wrestling icon.
Brooke reportedly attempted to address the issue with her father but after years of disagreements and her words falling on deaf ears, she contacted his financial manager and made the decision to be excluded from the will.
Hogan’s estate is estimated to be worth $25million, according to reports. Brooke is the daughter of Hogan and his ex-wife Linda – to whom he was married from 1983 to 2009.
