Hulk Hogan's daughter breaks silence after absence from funeral

Brooke Hogan has speaked out for the first time about her decision to skip her late father Hulk Hogan’s funeral, explaining she chose to grieve in her own personal way.

The late WWE icon, born Terry Gene Bollea, was laid to rest in a private ceremony held on Tuesday, August 5, at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park & Funeral Home in Clearwater, Florida — the city where he had been living with his wife, Sky Daily, before his sudden passing from a heart attack at age 71 on July 24.

However, noticeably absent was Hulk’s 37-year-old daughter Brooke, who has reportedly been estranged from her father for the past two years.

Later that evening, Brooke took to Instagram to address her absence, sharing a heartfelt message alongside a series of beachside photos with her husband Steven Oleksy and their twins, Oliver and Molly, born in January 2025.

“My father hated the morbidity of funerals. He didn’t want one,” Brooke wrote. “And although I know people grieve in many ways — and I’m so grateful for all celebrations and events organized to honor him — as his daughter, I had to make my own decision to honor him the best and most genuine way I knew how… privately… the way that made me feel the closest to him.”

She continued, “The only thing missing today was him in his pop-up lawn chair watching the waves… and the sunset (broken heart emoji).”

“Daddy, we honored you in the simplest way that agreed with my soul,” she wrote. “We took our babies to the beach and put them in the same salty waters you loved. Molly loved the water. I think she’ll be a ‘little fish,’ as you called me.”

“Every grain of sand and every wave reminded me of being your beach baby,” Brooke reflected. “We love you and honor the things that made you so special. I pray you are at peace and know how dearly I love you.”

She signed off with a simple, moving tribute: “Rest in heaven, Daddy (heart emoji).”