Hulk Hogan’s daughter’s husband has revealed the reason for their estrangement in the two years prior to his death.
The former wrestling icon, real name Terry Bollea, died last month at the age of 71 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Hogan’s cause of death has since been revealed as acute myocardial infarction, otherwise known as a heart attack.
His death came only a month after the WWE star underwent a major heart operation in June, from which he was in recovery.
The wrestler and actor is survived by his wife, Sky Daily, and his children from a previous marriage – son Nick and daughter Brooke.
Hogan and Brooke, 37, had become estranged in the two years before his death – due to the way the star treated his daughter, her husband has claimed.
In an interview with People, Brooke’s husband, former hockey player Steven Oleksy, has opened up about Hogan’s estrangement from his daughter.
According to Oleksy, 39, Hogan had perpetuated a narrative that his daughter had cut off relations due to her disapproval of his latest marriage.
‘My wife will say it — it had nothing to do with his new wife. It had to do with the way he treated [Brooke],’ Oleksy revealed.
According to Oleksy, Hogan had refused to attend his daughter’s wedding, telling them that he ‘doesn’t do weddings or funerals anymore.’
This came after she had supported Hogan through a string of controversies, including an incident in which he was recorded using racial slurs in reference to her ex-boyfriend.
This, according to Hogan, had ‘taken a toll’ on his wife, resulting in a fraught series of phone calls in which ‘there were some things said and a lot of mistruths.’
In the months following, Hogan’s daughter was absent from his third wedding, in October 2023.
Over the next two years, Oleksy maintains that he ‘remained in contact’ with her family so as to determine whether he needed to protect his wife orattempt to mend their relationship.
However, he claims that every conversation he had with his father-in-law only convinced him to further ‘protect’ his family and wife ‘at all costs.’
“With that love comes heartache and comes many challenges that she’s faced in the public and that she still faces today because of others’ actions,’ he said of his wife’s feelings about Hogan.
‘At the end of the day, knowing how much she loves everybody in her family, I always try to support decisions that she made, and I always tried to support the relationships that she envisioned.’
Earlier this year, Brooke and Oleksy welcomed twins Oliver Andrew and Molly Gene.
According to Oleksy, Hogan showed ‘no interest’ in his grandchildren prior to his death, in spite of his son-in-law reaching out.
‘I sent text messages once again to kind of gauge where he was at, but there was no interest,’ Oleksy said in a separate interview with People.
Her brother Nick reportedly offered to bring Hogan over to the house to meet the newborns, Oleksy claimed, but it never panned out.
In a tribute to his father, Nick said: ‘Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me and comforted me over the last few days. It truly means a lot. I’m sorry to everyone I have not responded to yet. This has been overwhelming and extremely difficult.
‘Hearing so many kind words and stories about my dad’s life, interactions and experiences with everyone has been incredible and comforting.
‘My dad was the most incredible person I’ve ever known and will always be my hero. He was the most kind, loving and amazing father anybody could ask for. I feel so blessed to have had the greatest dad in the world. He was not only the best dad but also my mentor and my best friend. He always has been my best friend and I love him and miss him more than I could ever explain.
He continued: ‘I would do anything to have him back but I know now that he will always be watching over me. I will always remember the lessons and advice he gave me and carry on in a way that I know would make him proud.
‘Thank you for being the best dad in the world and thank you for being my best friend. I love you so much Big Dog and I will miss you forever.’
Meanwhile, wife Sky Daily shared a picture of herself kissing Hogan on the cheek.
In the caption, she wrote: ‘He had been dealing with some health issues, but I truly believed we would overcome them. I had so much faith in his strength. I thought we still had more time.
‘This loss is sudden and impossible to process. To the world, he was a legend… but to me, he was my Terry. The man I loved. My partner. My heart.’
‘Hulk loved his fans so much and despite his growing physical discomfort, he did everything he could to show up, sign autographs, take photos, and connect with the people who supported him through it all. You meant everything to him,’ she continued.
‘He was a believer in Christ, and I take comfort knowing his soul is at peace and he’s been welcomed home.
‘Please keep his family and all of us who loved him in your prayers as we try to navigate this new reality.’
The WWE legend will reportedly be cremated with a ceremony held in Clearwater, Florida, where he was living prior to his death.
A spokesperson told Page Six: ‘I’m not aware of when Mr. Bollea will be cremated, only that we’ve received a request for cremation approval.’
It is unclear whether Hogan’s cremation will be a public event or a private funeral.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.