Hulk Hogan claims he is in the dark as to why daughter Brooke Hogan has distanced herself from him following her estrangement from her mother and his ex-wife, Linda Hogan.
“Terry not speaking to Brooke is [a] much more recent thing,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly, referring to Hulk, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea.
The insider claims that the famous wrestler, 71, “tells people he doesn’t specifically know why Brooke won’t speak to him.”
The tension might stem from Hulk’s split from Brooke’s mother, Linda, 65, in 2007, according to the source. “A lot of damage was done during their divorce,” the insider shares.
Through it all, “Terry has for sure tried to be a good dad,” the source adds, claiming that Hulk is “very close” to Brooke’s brother, Nick Hogan.
Linda filed for divorce from Hulk in November 2007 after more than 20 years of marriage. Nearly two years later, the exes finalized their divorce in July 2009. (The former couple share Brooke, 36, and son Nick, 34.)
“Hulk is looking forward to moving on with his life and is very hopeful that he and Linda can maintain a friendship and work together as parents to their two children,” Hulk’s rep told Us in a statement at the time.
In the years that followed, Brooke tried to stay out of the limelight as much as possible. However, when she returned to reality TV — she previously appeared on Hogan Knows Best from 2005 to 2007 with her family — she turned to her dad for support.
Brooke exclusively told Us in April 2018 that two days into filming MTV’s Champs vs. Stars, “I called my dad and I’m like, ‘I should have never done TV again. It was better being normal.’”
She recalled her dad giving her great advice. “And he was just like, ‘Stick it out, baby. You’re gonna be great. Just focus on the competition. Stay positive,’” Brooke said.
Their father-daughter relationship has since splintered. Brooke raised eyebrows when she skipped her dad’s third wedding in September 2023 to Sky Daily. (Hulk was also married to Jennifer McDaniel from 2010 to 2021.)
“For my own journey to healing and happiness, I have chosen to create some distance between myself and my family,” Brooke wrote via Instagram at the time. “And am focusing on people and things that heal my heart and align with my own personal beliefs, goals, and values. I wish him well. ❤️.”
Brooke secretly wed hockey player Steven Olesky in June 2022, but it is unknown whether her father or mother was in attendance. Brooke recently became a mother, welcoming twins Oliver and Molly, in January, which her mother, Linda, claims is news the family wasn’t privies to.
“It’s been 15 — or longer — years since I left Hulk Hogan and my family is in the worst mess,” Linda alleged in a since-expired Instagram Story video obtained by multiple outlets on Wednesday, March 26. “Brooke doesn’t talk to us. She’s had twins. She got married, she didn’t tell us. She had a huge fight with Terry. I don’t know how that reflected onto me, but she cut me out too.”
Brooke responded to her mom’s post via her own Instagram statement on Thursday, March 27, writing, “I try very hard to ignore issues surrounding my family in hopes I might have peace in my life. 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.”
She continued, “If it were just me, I would continue to take the hits and shrink even smaller to avoid the dangers of speaking publicly. But I have my own family now and it’s affecting more than just me at this point.”
Brooke went on to explain that she has “completely separate reasons for going no contact” with her mom and her dad. “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,” she wrote. “This decision was made based purely on how they have each dealt with me my entire life.”
Brooke then alleged that she was “extremely verbally and mentally abused” throughout her childhood. She didn’t identify her alleged abuser, but said things “frequently turn[ed] physical.”
She revealed, “I longed for a normal family, but it never came to fruition. 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 said she has tried to “break the chain” with her own family and has turned to therapy for help. She insisted, “I absolutely LOVE them with every fiber of my being,” while talking about her parents, but for her own peace she had cut off communication with them both.
In a separate Instagram statement posted on Friday, March 28, Brooke denied her mom’s claim that she has “never met” her husband, sharing a photo of them together from 2023.
Brooke added that her previous post “did not directly accuse anyone” of the toxic behaviors she experienced in childhood. She stated that if her mom was “triggered” by the post, then that “speaks volumes.”
“I have plenty of people who know the truth, and I know the truth, so I am not afraid,” Brooke concluded.
Us Weekly has reached out to Hulk and Linda for comment.
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