Brooke Hogan shared a tribute to estranged father Hulk Hogan following his death.
“My Dearest Daddy, You were my everything, and I will always be your girl. I am PROUD to be your daughter — for all the love, light, and goodness you brought into this world. Thank you for choosing me in this lifetime, and for loving me so deeply,” Brooke, 37, captioned an Instagram post on Tuesday, July 29. “Our bond is eternal. That truth brings me comfort and hope, even in your absence. I love you more than all the stars in the sky, 4LifeAfterLife.”
Brooke shared the message alongside several throwback photos of herself and her father, who died at age 71 on July 24 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Florida home. She also offered further insight into their relationship with a separate statement.
“I will remember watching him build my Barbie dream houses, our jet ski rides, laughing till we cried when no one else got the joke, the way he gave me a love and respect or the ocean, the beach, sunsets and the beauty God painted into this life,” Brooke wrote on Tuesday. “Wrapping my arms around his big frame always made me feel like his little girl, even as I grew up.”
Brooke Hogan Explains What Led to Relationship Breakdown With Dad Hulk
Brooke said she feels “his presence” through her children — twins Oliver Andrew and Molly Gene — one of which was named after Hulk (real name Terry Gene Bollea).
“The greatest gift a father could ever give — A love that goes on … long after we’re gone,” she continued. “But the world he left behind is different than we had imagined.”
Brooke clarified that there was never a “big fight” between her and Hulk.
“It was a series of private phone calls no one will ever hear, know or understand,” she said. “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.”
After moving to Florida with husband Steven Oleksy to be by Hulk’s side, Brooke accompanied her dad to several surgeries. She claimed that he started to pull back.
“Everything started getting covered in a thick veil. It was like there was a forcefield around him that I couldn’t get through,” she wrote. “I felt a disconnect. What followed were respectful disagreements that took an emotional toll on me.”
Hulk Hogan Family Guide: Inside Public Estrangement and Multiple Wives
Brooke explained that she decided to “step away” from her father “during the last two years” as a way to protect herself. (Us Weekly confirmed that Brooke removed herself from Hulk’s will in 2023.)
“I know in my heart, I did everything I could. He knew I would run through a burning building for him. And in many ways, along the path of life, I did,” Brooke added. “He knows how deeply, how hard and how purely I loved him. I am at peace knowing this.”
