Hulk Hogan had some ups and downs with his family prior to his death at age 71.
The WWE legend (whose real name was Terry Gene Bollea) made headlines in 2025 after his daughter, Brooke Hogan, confirmed that she was estranged from her family, which also included mom Linda Hogan and brother Nick Hogan.
Brooke claimed in a lengthy March 2025 Instagram post that she was “extremely verbally and mentally abused” throughout her childhood. Linda followed up with a social media post of her own, confirming that she was also estranged from her daughter — claiming they hadn’t spoken for eight years. (Linda and Hulk split in 2009 after more than two decades of marriage.)
“I have completely separate reasons for going no contact with each of my parents,” Brooke explained at the time. “No contact with my mom has nothing to do with my dad, and no contact with my father has nothing to do with my mother. … This decision was made based purely on how they have each dealt with me my entire life.”
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Hulk’s estrangement from Brooke was a “much more recent thing,” a source told Us Weekly exclusively in March 2025. He “tells people he doesn’t specifically know why Brooke won’t speak to him.”
The tension might have stemmed from Hulk and Linda’s divorce, the insider speculated.
“A lot of damage was done during their divorce,” the source added, noting that Hulk “has for sure tried to be a good dad” over the years.
Fans got an inside look at their family dynamic in the Hogan Knows Best reality show, which aired for four seasons from 2005 and 2007.
The family confirmed to Us in July 2025 that Hulk died in July 2025. It was reported that he suffered a cardiac arrest at his Clearwater, Florida home.
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of Hulk’s family:
Linda Hogan
Hulk married Linda in 1983. She filed for divorce in November 2007, and their split was finalized nearly two years later. (He denied there was infidelity in their marriage despite multiple claims that Hulk cheated on Linda.)
“We’ve reached a marital settlement agreement,” Linda’s attorney told Us in a July 2009 statement.
In her March 2025 social media post, Linda claimed that her estrangement from Brooke was because of “what I went through in my marriage” with Hulk “what it entailed, and what it has caused over the years.”
She added, “I’ve given him more opportunities to come back and make up the family. It’s been 20 years and I’m still this sad. Somebody please explain that.”
Brooke Hogan
Hulk and Linda’s eldest child was born in May 1988. While she appeared alongside her family on Hogan Knows Best, Brooke has spoken candidly about being estranged from her family.
“I try very hard to ignore issues surrounding my family in hopes I might have peace in my life,” she shared in her March 2025 social media statement. “Sadly, I’ve intentionally made myself smaller in my professional career in music and TV simply to dodge the public negativity surrounding my family that has continuously and relentlessly overshadowed anything I do.”
Brooke noted that she “so badly wanted to see good” in her family but needed to step away.
“I longed for a normal family, but it never came to fruition,” she added. “I’ve repeatedly held my hand out to help them, only to have them pull me into the darkness with them. I’ve set boundaries that were not respected, and at this point, I can truly do no more.”
Brooke is married to NHL star Steven Oleksy and they share twins Oliver and Molly, who were born in January 2025.
Nick Hogan
Hulk and Linda’s son, Nick, was born in July 1990. He also made regular appearances on Hogan Knows Best. He’s had multiple run-ins with the law over the years, most recently being arrested for a DUI in November 2023. Nick pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year of probation.
A source told Us in April 2025 that Nick felt “caught in the middle” of the family drama.
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“He has pressure from a lot of different people to just kind of stay where he is. You know, just stay quiet,” the insider added. “He has a lot to lose from a few different ends. He can’t really support anybody in the situation. He’s just trying to stay out of it as much as possible to make sure he’s in good graces with as many people as he can be.”
Nick is currently married to adult film star Tana Lea.
Jennifer McDaniel
Following his divorce from Linda, the wrestling legend moved on with McDaniel. They got married in December 2010. Hulk confirmed via social media in February 2022 that he and McDaniel were getting divorced.
Sky Daily
By July 2023, Hulk and Daily were engaged. They got married in September of that year.
