Hulk Hogan, the wrestling icon, was privately battling profound personal sorrow in the months leading up to his unexpected death at 71, insiders have revealed. Known in real life as Terry Bollea, Hogan suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida on Thursday. Yet behind his towering persona as an all-American hero and larger-than-life entertainer, Hogan was grappling with the pain of a lengthy estrangement from his daughter, Brooke.
The 36-year-old hadn't spoken to her dad for eight years. While the precise cause of their relationship breakdown was never fully disclosed, it's reported that Hogan remained hopeful they would one day reconcile. "The last few months of Hogan's life had more highs than lows," an insider told the Daily Mail. "There was a bit of tension with his daughter and their relationship that had taken quite the emotional toll, but he always believed he would eventually be able to mend that."
His sudden demise has reportedly left those closest to him in shock, reports the Express. "He was still incredibly close to his son," the source added. "It is a surprise and doesn't feel real at all to his family and friends."
Hogan's years in the ring took a severe physical toll. Back in April, an insider described his condition as having "the body of a 140-year-old man." But even more than his physical decline, insiders say it was the fractured state of his family life that weighed most heavily on him.
Earlier this year, Brooke publicly addressed her estrangement from both her parents, alleging she had been "verbally and mentally abused since childhood." However, she emphasised that the allegations were "not pointed at either person." According to TMZ, Brooke and her father did have a conversation before his passing, and she was able to express her love for him. Her husband, ice hockey player Steven Oleksy, reportedly made several unsuccessful attempts to bridge the family divide.
While Hogan largely kept quiet about the family rift, his ex-wife Linda was much more outspoken. The 65-year-old branded him a "complete liar" and a "sex addict" in a candid online video shared in March. Reflecting on her daughter's absence, she said: "She's had twins, she got married, she didn't tell us. She had a huge row with Terry. I don't know how that reflected onto me. But she cut me out, too. I haven't spoken to her for seven years - almost eight years now."
