29 July 2025
Brooke and Hulk Hogan “had a connection deeper than words”.
Brooke Hogan has paid tribute to her dad
The wrestling legend died from cardiac arrest on July 24, aged 71, and Brooke, his 37-year-old daughter, has now taken to social media to pay tribute to her dad and to reflect on their turbulent relationship.
In a lengthy post on Instagram, Brooke explained: “When he left this earth, it felt like part of my spirit left with him. I felt it before the news even reached us. 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 also used her post to “clear a few things up” regarding their estrangement.
The realty star wrote: “It was a series of private phone calls no one will ever hear, know, or understand. 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.”
Brooke and her husband, Steven Olesky, actually moved closer to the wrestler as he battled with health problems.
She said: “We had been through almost 25 surgeries together, and 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. (sic)”
Their relationship ultimately collapsed amid a series of “respectful disagreements”.
Brooke explained: “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. I felt a disconnect. What followed were respectful disagreements that took an emotional toll on me.”
Brooke ultimately took a step back from her dad in order to “protect [her] heart”.
However, she doesn’t have any regrets about how she dealt with the situation.
She said: “I know in my heart I did everything I could. 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.”
