Why Hulk Hogan's daughter didn't attend his funeral
What's the story
Brooke Hogan Oleksy, the daughter of late WWE superstar Hulk Hogan, recently shared her decision to skip her father's funeral. The 71-year-old wrestling icon was laid to rest in a private ceremony in Clearwater, Florida, on Tuesday. Despite the presence of several celebrities like Kid Rock and Triple H at the service, Hogan Oleksy chose not to attend and instead honored him in a way that felt genuine to her.
Social media statement
'Dad hated the morbidity of funerals'
Hogan Oleksy, 37, took to Instagram to explain her decision. She shared a series of photos from a beach day with her husband, Steven Oleksy, and their twins, Oliver and Molly. In the caption, she wrote about how her father "hated the morbidity of funerals" and didn't want one. "As his daughter, I had to make my own decision to honor him...privately...the way that made me feel the closest to him."
Tribute
'We honored you in the simplest way'
Hogan Oleksy continued, "Daddy, we honored you in the simplest way that agreed with my soul. We took our babies to the beach, and put them in the same salty waters you loved." She added a heartfelt message about her father's love for the beach and how it brought her closer to him. "Every grain of sand and every wave reminded me of being your beach baby," she wrote.
Family rift
Hogan Oleksy was estranged from her parents
Hogan Oleksy has reportedly been estranged from her parents for some time. In March 2025, her mother Linda posted a now-deleted video saying her daughter no longer spoke to her or Hulk. Responding to these claims, Hogan Oleksy had said that the lack of contact with either parent was due to how they had treated her throughout her life. "This decision was made based purely on how they have each dealt with me directly my entire life."
Health worries
Concerns about her father's death
Hogan Oleksy also expressed her concerns about her father's death in a guest appearance on the Bubba the Love Sponge Show. She questioned why an autopsy wasn't performed on him before his cremation. "I do think it's weird that no autopsy was performed...because yes, you can have a heart attack but what was the reason for the heart attack is the question," she said. Hulk had a history of atrial fibrillation and leukemia at the time of his death.