Hulk Hogan's Death Has His Daughter Brooke On Everyone's Minds For One Sad Reason

When some netizens heard the news of Hulk Hogan's death at age 71, their first thought wasn't his illustrious wrestling career, which saw him face off against the Iron Sheik, André the Giant, and other WWE legends that we have lost. Instead, they took to Instagram to check in on Hulk's daughter, Brooke Hogan.

Fans got to know Brooke well on the reality series "Hogan Knows Best," which ran from 2005 to 2007. As the cameras rolled, she and Hulk often sparred over typical father-daughter issues, such as Brooke starting to date and not keeping her parents apprised of her whereabouts when going out. While Hulk could certainly be an overbearing dad, he and his daughter seemed to have a close relationship. But in March, Brooke revealed that she had gone no-contact with both Hulk and her mother, Linda Hogan. When her Instagram followers expressed their condolences, many of them had this revelation in mind. "I know you didn't have the best relationship with your dad, but sending you condolences, thoughts & prayers," one person wrote. "No one is perfect I hope you got the chance to talk to your father before he passed!!" another comment read.

In a lengthy post about her estrangement from her parents, Brooke accused them of being mentally and physically abusive. Without going into too much detail or revealing which specific parent she was referencing, she further wrote that they had been manipulative, self-centered, dishonest, and cruel. "Their behavior became more painful than their absence," she revealed. Brooke also expressed regret over defending a parent's behavior — something she once did for her dad in a very public way.

Hulk Hogan almost lost his spot in the WWE Hall of Fame after he used a racial slur. According to a 2015 Radar report, he called a man he believed was sleeping with Brooke Hogan a racial slur multiple times in a 2008 sex tape that he filmed with Heather Clem, the wife of his ex-friend Bubba the Love Sponge. In defense of her father's foul language, Brooke told ET, "He's not racist. ... He doesn't talk like that, which is what was so strange about it." Brooke was possibly referring to these remarks when she wrote in her March 2025 Instagram post, "I've been ASKED to defend poor behavior to the public and have done so out of love. Only to find I was misinformed, manipulated, and lied to."

Brooke is now married to former NHL player Steven Oleksy, and the couple welcomed twins in January. At the time of this writing, it's unknown if Hulk ever met his grandchildren, but in April, a source told Us Weekly that he was refusing to speak to Oleksy, who was trying to play peacemaker for the Hogans. The insider added that Brooke was open to mending her relationship with her dad if he would apologize for his actions.

Hulk's response to Brooke's deepfelt message was flippant: On Instagram, he chomped on popcorn and quipped that the Hogans were returning to reality TV. And if no reconciliation happened before his death, some of Brooke's heartbreaking words about her family's rift take on an even weightier significance: "My heart hurts every day, and not a day passes it does not affect me. Inside of me, there is a little girl who desperately wants and needs her Mom and Dad."