Emily Brown
Hulk Hogan's daughter, Brooke, has shared in her own words what happened between her and her father in the years prior to his death.
Wrestling legend Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, passed away on 24 July at the age of 71, after first responders were called to a scene in Florida on reports of a cardiac arrest.
Hogan was taken to hospital, but was sadly pronounced dead.
His death came after he spent decades as an icon of WWE, having headlined the first WrestleMania event in 1985. He was known to have suffered a number of health issues in recent years, and now Brooke has explained how his health journey tied into her becoming more distant from her dad.
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In a lengthy statement shared on Instagram, Brooke claimed the media has been 'convoluting the narrative' around her and her father, so she wanted to 'clear a few things up'.
"We never had a 'big fight.' My father and I never 'fought,'" she said, insisting they'd instead had a 'series of private phone calls no one will ever hear, know, or understand'. Her statement comes after Brooke's mom and Hogan's ex-wife, Linda, claimed in March Brooke had a 'huge fight' with Hogan.
However, Brooke assured that Hogan was 'confiding' in her about issues he was experiencing and she 'begged him to rest', even moving down to Florida to be closer to him.
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"We had been though almost 25 surgeries together, and then all of a sudden he didn't want me at surgeries... everything started getting covered in a thick veil. It was like there was a force field around him that I couldn't get through," she said.
Brooke described feeling a 'disconnect' and said she and her father started having disagreements which took an 'emotional toll'.
"During the last two years, I had to step away to protect my heart," she explained. "My husband stayed open, quietly reaching out to my dad without me knowing, trying to find a safe way back in for me. After my father passed, I read those messages, some answered, some ignored... but all of them broke my heart."
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Brooke expressed belief she 'did everything [she] could', adding: "He knew I would run through a burning building for him. And in many ways, along the path of life, I did. He knows how deeply, how hard and how purely I loved him. I am at peace knowing this.
"All I ever truly wanted from my father was love, honesty, and a deep connection. And for a few special years, I had that - with memories that will last a lifetime."
Brooke admitted her life is 'forever changed', but noted her dad's life will 'always' be one 'worth celebrating'.