Although Brooke Hogan Oleksy may not have paid tribute to her father, Hulk Hogan, in the most conventional manner, she wants her fans and his to know how she did honour the great wrestler.
Hogan, whose birth name is Terry Boellea, passed away last month at the age of 71 from a heart attack.
He is regarded for having played a significant role in making WWE (previously WWF) the dominant force in professional wrestling that it is today. He was the main attraction at the inaugural WrestleMania in 1985 and continued to be a regular for years, competing against everyone from Randy Savage and Andre the Giant to The Rock and even Vince McMahon, the head of the organisation.
Outside of the world of professional wrestling, Hogan was a well-known figure who starred in a number of films and television series, notably the VH1 reality series Hogan Knows Best.
Hogan was laid to rest in a private funeral in Clearwater, Florida on Tuesday.
Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, Kid Rock, Theo Von, Vince McMahon, Ric Flair, and Dennis Rodman were all there for his funeral, according to pictures that TMZ was able to secure.
But notable absentee was his daughter.
Why wasn't Hulk Hogan's daughter at his funeral?
Brooke shared a social media post in which she revealed that her father “hated the morbidity of funerals” and never desired one. She believed that taking her family to the beach, which he cherished, was the most sincere way to honour him.
“Daddy, we honored you in the simplest way that agreed with my soul. We took our babies to the beach, and put them in the same salty waters you loved... Every grain of sand and every wave reminded me of being your beach baby, and brought us closer to you.”
Pictures of her with her husband, Steven Oleksy, and their twin kids, Molly and Oliver, were included in the post.
Estranged relationship from her parents
The most recent development in the intricate tale of Brooke's relationship with her father and his public legacy is her choice to grieve independently.
Having last spoken to her father in 2023, she has been open about the fact that they were separated for the final two years of his life.
In March, Brooke explained the reasons behind her estrangement from her father Hulk and mother Linda on social media.
“What I'm about to say is not pointed at either person,” she wrote, before adding, “I have been EXTREMELY verbally and mentally abused since childhood. Sadly, it would frequently turn physical.”
Brooke talked on the difficulties she has had managing her relationship with her family in the public eye, as well as how the alleged treatment caused long-lasting harm to her confidence and sense of self.
“I was expected to, and DID forgive massive blows to my career and personal life, nasty behavior, omissions of truth, blatant lies, manipulation, and repetitive errors in hopes of renewing previous family bonds. I've been used as a pawn, a buffer, and been treated like I'm downright stupid too.”
She added: “I so badly wanted to see good in them, protect, help, and start anew - just to be disrespected again and again. I longed for a normal family, but it never came to fruition.”
Brooke stated that she still loves her parents and that the choice to cut off communication with Hulk and Linda still causes her daily pain. She revealed that in an effort to break “the chain” she has “been to therapy” and is “doing the work.”
“Life is so precious. I want so much to be able to enjoy what's important...my children and my life I have worked so hard to create and protect-and I hope everyone can give me the chance to do that without injecting any more poison into it.”
She also revealed earlier this week on the Bubba the Love Sponge show that she had requested to be taken out of her father's will due to concerns about a possible legal dispute with her own mother, Linda Hogan, and his third wife, Sky Daily.
Recalling the moment she texted Hogan's assistant to remove her from the will, Brooke said “I just said, take me off everything, I don’t want to be a part of it.”
