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At this point, it’s rather clear that Brooke Hogan wasn’t close to her famous father when Hulk Hogan passed away.
This isn’t a judgment of any kind.
It just seems like a fact. The two were very clearly estranged.
The iconic WWE superstar was laid to rest in a private funeral in Clearwater, Florida, on Tuesday, August 5… with big names such as Kid Rock, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in attendance.
Not Brooke, however. She did not go to the service.
Later on Tuesday, the 37-year old (who was written out of he dad’s will) shared a message on Instagram to tell her side of the story.
She did so alongside numerous photos of herself, her husband Steven Oleksy and their twins Oliver and Molly — whom they welcomed in January 2025 — at the beach.
“My father hated the morbidity of funerals. He didn’t want one,” Brooke wrote as a caption on social media.
“And although I know people grieve in many ways – and I’m so grateful for all celebrations and events organized to honor him, as his daughter, I had to make my own decision to honor him the best and most genuine way I knew how…privately…the way that made me feel the closest to him.”
Added this member of the Hogan family:
“The only thing missing today was him in is pop up lawn chair watching the waves… and the sunset.”
The former reality star and occasional singer continued:
“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.
Molly loved the water. I think she’ll be a ‘little fish’ as you called me. We love you and honor the things that made you so special. Every grain of sand and every wave reminded me of being your beach baby, and brought us closer to you. I pray you are at peace and know how dearly I love you.
“Rest in heaven, Daddy.”
Previously, Brooke said she hadn’t spoken to Hulk Hogan in two years — despite having moved to Florida to be closer to him.
“It was a series of private phone calls no one will ever hear, know, or understand,” Brooke wrote after her father died.
“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…
“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,” she wrote, adding:
“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. During the last two years, I had to step away to protect my heart.”
Brooke Hogan: This is Why I Skipped My Dad’s Funeral… was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.