Tragic Details About Hulk Hogan's Only Daughter Brooke Hogan

The following article includes a brief mention of suicide.

Brooke Hogan's life in the spotlight has come with ups and downs. The oldest daughter of Hulk Hogan and his ex-wife, Linda Hogan, became a reality TV star after being featured alongside her family on VH1's "Hogan Knows Best." She continued to follow in her father's footsteps, starring in the spinoff "Brooke Knows Best" a year after the original show ended. Brooke then transformed from reality TV regular to country musician, showing she wanted to carve her own path. It was no coincidence.

Brooke's unique experience growing up in association with the legendary pro wrestler was no walk in the park — even if it opened the doors for her to pursue artistic dreams that would have been unattainable otherwise. Hulk has been at the center of a host of controversies over the years, including a racist scandal involving Brooke that caused him to join the list of wrestlers who destroyed their careers in a matter of seconds. Brooke defended her family time and time again — until she had enough.

Years of family drama took such a toll on her mental health that she decided she needed to take a break to prioritize her well-being. It seemingly helped, but it didn't end her personal struggles. Brooke often took it upon herself to try to fix her family problems, only to have her father cheat on her mother with a friend and go on racist tirades about her love life. The daughter of the WWE legend has gone through a lot — and continues to do so. 

Having twins is no walk in the park. Brooke Hogan felt the effects of carrying two babies deep in her skin, reaching the end of pregnancy with a belly so big that her whole body hurt. Unfortunately, the issues didn't end when it came time to have her C-section. After Oliver and Molly were born on January 15, 2025, Hogan experienced a complication that could have cost her life. "I had a severe hemorrhage, lost 2.5 L of blood, and was an inch away from a blood transfusion," she revealed in an Instagram post.

Making matters worse, she was alone through her medical emergency. That's because Hogan's husband, Steven Oleksy, left the operation room to accompany the newborns during their checks. "So I was without him when it got scary serious," she continued. Luckily, her medical team was able to contain the hemorrhage and stabilize her. It was all worth it in the end, as Oliver and Molly were born at a hefty 8.9 and 7.9 pounds — amazing birth weights for singletons, let alone twins.

But Hogan knows how fortunate she was. "My surgeon and his colleagues were amazing at getting the kids out safely, getting my overstretched uterus back in my body, and not letting me die," she wrote in a separate Instagram post. After everything she went through, Hogan is soaking up every minute with her newborns despite how hard it can be. "I am so grateful," she captioned another post. 

The late aughts were a difficult time for Brooke Hogan and her family. Linda filed for divorce from Hulk Hogan in late 2007, creating a lot of drama that was lived out very much in the public eye. At that point, they hadn't been on talking terms in months. A year later, Linda accused Hulk of cheating on her, which he denied. In his book "My Life Outside the Ring," he reveals that he took the split so hard that he considered suicide. A few months before the divorce, the Hogans had already endured another tribulation.

In August 2007, Hulk's son, Nick Hogan, then 17, lost control of his vehicle and drove into a tree, an accident that put his friend, John Graziano, into a coma. Nick was charged as an adult with reckless driving with serious bodily injury and underage drinking, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Those months were some of the hardest in Brooke's life. "I have to admit I did have a little bit of a breakdown one time about that 'cause my brother and I are inseparable," she told Access Hollywood in 2008 (via Today).

The divorce also weighed down on her, as she found it hard to accept that her parents refused to talk to each other while trying to settle. "They were going back and forth between their lawyers, and I said, 'You guys just talk!'" she revealed on HLN in 2012. So, she put them on the phone. "I was like, 'Here Dad, it's for you.'"

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

As if having an affair wasn't bad enough, Hulk Hogan reportedly did it with a close family friend. A few months after her parents announced their decision to divorce, Brooke Hogan's best friend, Christiane Plante, claimed she had a fling with Hulk. But she denied the affair was the reason Linda and Hulk's marriage ended. "My relationship with Terry [Bollea] began at a time when Terry and Linda privately knew their marriage was ending," Plante told the National Enquirer, adding that Linda had already left (via Today).

Plante regretted the affair not because of the implications it might have had for the marriage but because of the hurt she inflicted on Brooke. "I will never be able to fully forgive myself for this. I have lost an amazing friend," she said. Brooke was heartbroken over it. In a MySpace message, she revealed the news was among her most painful experiences. "When your best friend and one of your closest family members ... betray you together, you could MAYBE find it in yourself to forgive one day ... but you will NEVER forget the hurt they caused you," she wrote.

Despite Plante's admission, Hulk accused Linda of making up the story to keep herself relevant after the divorce when she cited it as the reason for the marriage's collapse. "It is unfortunate Linda Hogan will do virtually anything to keep herself in the public spotlight," his lawyer told E! News. 

Hulk Hogan's reported affair with her friend wasn't the only time he interfered with Brooke Hogan's life. In 2015, leaked audio captured Hulk going on a rant against his daughter's career prospects. The recording included a slew of racism directed at her potential love life. The audio was from a previously unseen portion of his sex tape with Heather Clem that leaked in 2012. In his complaints to Clem, Hulk expressed his anger at a "Black billionaire guy" who showed interest in helping Brooke with her music aspirations.

Hulk clearly felt slighted by the man's offer, as he had been funding Brooke's career up to that point. And his way of venting was to attack his daughter and her potential love interests. "I don't know if Brooke was f***ing the Black guy's son," he said, Radar reported. Hulk even admitted to being bigoted. "I mean, I don't have double standards. I mean, I am a racist, to a point, f***ing [N-word]." He attempted to justify his sentiment by claiming he wasn't the only one. "I guess we're all a little racist. F***ing [N-word]," he said.

The vileness of Hulk's words was enough for the WWE to terminate his contract. Yet, Brooke defended him. In a poem shared on social media, she highlighted her father's inclusive lessons. "He taught me folks are so much more than shades could ever tell," she wrote (via Us Weekly). Hulk apologized for his language amid the controversy.

After years of drama, Brooke Hogan is no longer close with her family. Rumors of estrangement between her and Hulk Hogan arose after she was noticeably missing from his wedding to Sky Daily in September 2023. Nick Hogan and Daily's children were present, making Brooke's absence even more evident. To prevent the rumors from spreading further, Brooke addressed her decision. "For my own journey to healing and happiness, I have chosen to create some distance between myself and my family," she wrote on Instagram.

She continued: "[I] am focusing on people and things that heal my heart and align my own personal beliefs, goals, and values." While she didn't go into details, Brooke implied the dysfunction that took over her family following the end of "Hogan Knows Best" and her parents' divorce was the driving force behind it. "With all of it happening in the public eye, I've had to learn how to best navigate those changes as they come, which has been difficult to say the least," she wrote.

Despite the attention her absence from Hulk's wedding got, that wasn't the first time Brooke had discussed her issues with her family. In 2021, she revealed she had no relationship with Linda Hogan. "The family dynamic, being completely genuine with you, it makes me sad," Brooke told Distractify. "It really does. I mean my mom and I don't talk, which is kind of like our third stint of going and doing that."