As wrestling and entertainment royalty gathered for Hulk Hogan’s private funeral on Tuesday, his daughter, Brooke Hogan, was noticeably absent. She has now broken her silence on her decision, explaining that she chose to honor her late father with a private, personal tribute instead of attending the formal service.
Hogan’s funeral took place in his home city of Clearwater, Florida, on August 5th. In a new Instagram post, Brooke shared her reasons for not being there.
A Private Goodbye
Brooke Hogan explained that her father “hated the morbidity of funerals” and never wanted one. She felt the most genuine way to honor him was to take her family to the beach, a place he loved dearly.
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“Daddy, we honored you in the simplest way that agreed with my soul,” she wrote in an emotional post. “We took our babies to the beach, and put them in the same salty waters you loved… Every grain of sand and every wave reminded me of being your beach baby, and brought us closer to you.”
The post included photos of her with her husband, Steven Oleksy, and their twin children, Molly and Oliver.
A Complicated Grief
Brooke’s decision to grieve separately is the latest chapter in the complex story of her relationship with her father and his public legacy. She has been very open about the fact that she and her father were estranged for the last two years of his life, having last spoken in 2023. This estrangement has clearly complicated her grieving process.
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She previously claimed that she was not invited by WWE to participate in their televised tributes on Raw and SmackDown. Earlier this week, on the Bubba the Love Sponge Show, she also made the shocking revelation that she had asked to be removed from her father’s will, citing fears of a potential legal battle with his third wife, Sky Daily, and her own mother, Linda Hogan.
A Star-Studded Memorial
The private funeral service that Brooke did not attend was a star-studded affair. It was held at the Indian Rocks Baptist Church and was attended by WWE executives Vince McMahon and Triple H, as well as legends like Ric Flair. Celebrities like Kid Rock were also there to pay their respects, alongside Hogan’s wife, Sky Daily, and his ex-wife, Linda.
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