Brooke Hogan, daughter of the late wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, has vehemently denied allegations that she ignored her father’s attempts to mend their strained relationship before his death.
The 71-year-old icon, who passed away from a heart attack on July 24, reportedly tried to reconcile with Brooke, according to sources close to him who spoke to TMZ Sports.
These insiders claimed that Hulk’s final message to his daughter was an apology sent via text, but Brooke insists she never received it.
“There was a phone call before he married Sky,” she told TMZ, referring to Hulk’s third wife, Sky Daily. “It was a cryptic phone call saying sorry for whatever he had done.”
Sources also suggested that Hulk attempted to arrange a meeting with Brooke and her family in Jacksonville, but she allegedly “ghosted” him.
Brooke firmly refuted this claim, stating: “That’s totally false. My husband actually called [Hulk’s son] Nick to try to make it work, but Nick said they were just flying in and out private.”
Those close to Hulk also alleged that he sent birthday gifts to Brooke that were returned unopened, and that she failed to reach out over the holidays. However, Brooke maintains she “never received any gifts.”
Regarding Hulk’s funeral, insiders claim a seat had been reserved for Brooke but she did not attend. She responded on social media, disputing that this had been a matter of choice.
She took to her Instagram Stories to address the backlash, stating, “For those of you giving me stick for not attending my Dad’s tributes, @wwe did not extend an invite.”
In Brooke’s tribute to her father on Instagram on 29 July, she expressed how her dad’s blood “runs through my veins” and said, “His eyes shine through my children. And our bond has never broken, not even in his final moments. We had a connection deeper than words, one that spanned lifetimes.”
Addressing their estrangement, she revealed that there was no “big fight” that led but rather a series of conversations. “It was a series of private phone calls no one will ever hear, know, or understand,” Brooke shared.
She explained that she came to the decision to cut ties “during the last two years” to “step away to protect my heart.”
Despite the distance, Brooke expressed her deep love for her parents in the same post, writing, “As much as I not only understand and have empathy for their own struggles, I absolutely LOVE them with every fibre of my being-which deep down I think they know.”
Despite the rift, Brooke did find her own way to honour her father – telling radio host Bubba the Love Sponge that she hadn’t spoken to Hulk in two years, but still celebrated his life on a Florida beach with her loved ones on the day of his funeral in a separate location.