Brooke Hogan Oleksy is paying tribute to her dad Hulk Hogan after his death – and clarifying rumors surrounding their relationship and rift.
The “Hogan Knows Best” star, 37, took to Instagram in a post Tuesday, July 29, to address speculation about their father-daughter bond.
“My dad’s blood runs through my veins. His eyes shine through my children. And our bond has never broken, not even in his final moments,” the mom of two wrote. “We had a connection deeper than words, one that spanned lifetimes.”
Oleksy shares twins, born this January, with her former pro hockey player husband Steven Oleksy. She first revealed in March she has “completely separate reasons for going no contact with each of my parents,” citing verbal and mental abuse.
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A post shared by Brooke Oleksy (@mizzhogan)
WWE icon Hogan died last week at 71 in Clearwater, Florida. In a statement, the entertainment company called him “one of pop culture’s most recognizable figures” and said he “helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s.”
WWE honors Hulk Hogan with another tribute on Monday Night Raw
But in her note, the ex-pop singer slammed the headlines, writing that the “media has been convoluting the narrative.” Instead of a major falling out, Oleksy said she wanted to be a “life raft” for him after years of wrestling took a toll on his body.
“We never had a ‘big fight.’ My father and I never ‘fought.’ It was a series of private phone calls no one will ever hear, know, or understand,” Oleksy wrote. “My father was confiding in me about issues weighing on his heart, both personal and business.”
However, despite moving closer to him in Florida, Oleksy said she “wanted to be there” for her dad “as much as possible” through almost 25 surgeries, but “then all of a sudden he didn’t want me at surgeries.”
“Everything started getting covered in a thick veil,” Oleksy wrote. “It was like there was a force field around him that I couldn’t get through.”
Hulk Hogan, WWE Hall of Famer and wrestling legend, dies at 71
The VH1 reality show “Hogan Knows Best” followed the Hogan family’s chaotic personal and professional life as a teenaged Oleksy had high hopes of music superstardom. The show aired for two seasons from 2005 to 2007, and Oleksy landed the spinoff “Brooke Knows Best” a year later, which also lasted two seasons.
Oleksy wrote in her July 29 note she “had to step away to protect my heart” over the past two years, but her “husband stayed open, quietly reaching out to my dad without me knowing, trying to find a safe way back in for me.” She continued, telling fans that “after my father passed, I read those messages, some answered, some ignored … but all of them broke my heart.”
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A post shared by Brooke Oleksy (@mizzhogan)
In a separate post, Oleksy wrote a note to her “dearest daddy,” calling the former pro wrestler her “everything.”
“I will always be your girl,” Oleksy said. “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.”
Contributing: Jordan Mendoza
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hulk Hogan death: Daughter Brooke Hogan breaks silence
