She chose to honor her late father in a deeply personal and private way away from the public funeral, seeking comfort in a place that held special meaning for them both amid a complicated family relationship.

In a deeply personal revelation, Brooke Hogan, daughter of wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, explained her decision to forgo attending her father’s funeral in Florida, choosing instead to honor his memory in a private and meaningful way.

The decision came amid a complex and strained relationship that had grown distant over the past two years, culminating in their estrangement in September 2023.

Hulk Hogan, born Terry Bollea, passed away on July 24, 2025, at age 71 after suffering a heart attack at his Clearwater, Florida home.

His funeral was held on August 5 at the Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Largo, Florida, attended by family, close friends, and wrestling peers.

The ceremony was a solemn yet celebratory occasion, marked by pallbearers wearing yellow boutonnieres—an homage to Hogan’s iconic yellow wrestling attire that had defined his decades-long career.

Despite the public nature of the funeral, Brooke Hogan chose a quieter path of remembrance. On Instagram, she shared heartfelt reflections explaining why she did not attend the service.

“My father hated the morbidity of funerals. He didn’t want one,” she wrote. Brooke expressed gratitude for the various public celebrations honoring Hogan but emphasized the importance of finding her own way to grieve.

“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 said.

Brooke, who is married to former NHL defenseman Steve Olesky, spent the day with her infant twins at the beach, a place she described as where she felt “the closest to him.”

Accompanying photos showed Brooke and her children playing in the water, with Brooke captioning the moment poignantly: “The only thing missing today was him in his pop-up lawn chair watching the waves… and the sunset.”

She added, “Daddy, we honored you in the simplest way that agreed with my soul,” and made tender reference to her daughter Molly’s love of water, calling her a “little fish” in a nod to a nickname Hogan had once given Brooke.

The father-daughter relationship had been marked by complexity and private struggles in recent years.

Brooke publicly addressed their estrangement in a lengthy Instagram post on July 29, clarifying misconceptions about the nature of their distance.

“My dad’s blood runs through my veins. His eyes shine through my children. And our blood has never broken, not even in his final moments,” she wrote, emphasizing that there was no dramatic public falling out but rather “a series of private phone calls no one will ever hear, know, or understand.”

She revealed that Hogan had confided in her about personal and business issues, and she had offered her support, saying, “I told him he had my support.”

However, Brooke also recounted feeling a “force field” blocking her efforts to reconnect as she moved to Florida to be closer to her father. Ultimately, she chose to step away to “protect my heart.”

According to reports, the last time the two spoke was just two weeks before Brooke’s wedding in September 2023.

Brooke also took steps to avoid conflict within the family. Early in the estrangement, she removed herself from Hogan’s will to prevent disputes with other relatives, including her mother Linda Hogan and Hogan’s third wife, Sky Daly.

The Hogan family dynamic has long been a subject of public interest, marked by both affection and tension.

Hulk Hogan’s legacy was honored on WWE’s televised shows “SmackDown” and “Monday Night Raw,” with the latter featuring attendance by his son Nick Hogan. Fans and colleagues celebrated his impact on professional wrestling and his larger-than-life persona.

Brooke’s decision to grieve quietly, away from the public eye, adds a poignant layer to the story of a complicated father-daughter bond. Her Instagram reflections reveal a daughter’s love mixed with heartbreak, capturing the challenges of family, fame, and personal healing.

As the wrestling world and fans continue to remember Hogan’s legacy, Brooke Hogan’s tribute serves as a powerful reminder that grief can take many forms—and sometimes the most genuine memorials happen in private moments by the water’s edge.