The world mourned the loss of wrestling icon Hulk Hogan when news broke of his death on July 24, 2025, in Clearwater, Florida. But behind the headlines and tributes, a quieter and more personal story was unfolding within Hogan’s family—a story of estrangement, unhealed wounds, and missed opportunities. According to her husband, Steven Oleksy, Hogan’s daughter Brooke Hogan gave birth to twins earlier this year, but the legendary wrestler never met his grandchildren before his passing.

A Family Rift Comes to Light

Hulk Hogan, born Terry Bollea, was a household name for decades, captivating fans with his charisma and larger-than-life persona in the WWE ring. Yet, for all his public bravado, Hogan’s private life was often tumultuous. The relationship between Hogan and his daughter Brooke, a singer and former reality TV star, had grown increasingly strained in recent years. By the time Brooke and her husband welcomed twins Oliver Andrew and Molly Gene in January 2025, the divide was so deep that Hogan never even met the newborns.

Steven Oleksy, a former NHL player and Brooke’s husband, revealed the heartbreaking details to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. “I reached out about a month and a half after the twins were born,” Oleksy said, describing his efforts to bridge the gap. “I sent text messages once again to kind of gauge where he was at, but there was no interest.”

A Daughter’s Devotion, a Father’s Distance

Brooke and Steven’s journey together began in Michigan, where they first met. After Oleksy retired from professional hockey, the couple decided to move to Florida, motivated in part by a desire to be closer to Hogan as he aged and faced mounting health challenges.

“She was there for every surgery leading up to the last two years,” Oleksy shared. “She would fly down on her own dime, take care of her dad, and it just made a lot of sense.” Brooke, he said, was diligent and attentive, taking meticulous notes from each of Hogan’s doctors and learning everything she could about his medical needs. “No one understood his body, procedures, medications and everything else more than my wife.”

Despite her devotion, the relationship between Brooke and her father unraveled. Oleksy explained that the rift was not the result of a single explosive argument, but rather a gradual accumulation of private conversations, misunderstandings, and emotional distance. “It was a series of private phone calls no one will ever hear, know, or understand,” Brooke later wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post.

Attempts at Reconciliation

Oleksy did his best to keep the lines of communication open, not just for Brooke’s sake but for the family as a whole. He remained in contact with Hogan’s other relatives, including Brooke’s brother, Nick. At one point, Nick suggested he and Hulk would come over to meet the twins. “But it never happened,” Oleksy said.

As Brooke set boundaries to protect her own heart, Oleksy found himself acting as a mediator, unsure whether to push for reconciliation or shield his wife from further pain. “I remained in contact with members of her family to try to keep that door open and understand if I should protect my wife or try to mend the relationship,” he told PEOPLE.

Brooke Breaks Her Silence

On July 29, five days after Hogan’s death, Brooke Hogan broke her silence with a lengthy and emotional Instagram post. She felt compelled, she said, “to clear a few things up” about her estrangement from her father. Dispelling rumors of a dramatic fallout, Brooke explained that the separation was not due to a singular event, but a slow and painful process.

“My father was confiding in me about issues weighing on his heart, both personal and business,” she wrote. “I offered to be a life raft in whatever capacity he needed. I told him he had my support. I begged him to rest, to take care of himself.” Ultimately, Brooke explained, she had to step away from the relationship “to protect my heart.”

Brooke also shared that after her father’s death, she read through the messages exchanged between Hogan and Oleksy. “Some answered, some ignored… but all of them broke my heart,” she admitted. Despite the pain, Brooke said she found peace in knowing she had done everything possible to support her father. “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.”

A New Chapter in Florida

Despite the loss and the unresolved family tensions, Brooke, Steven, and their twins have found a sense of belonging in Florida. “We’ve built a beautiful life here together,” Oleksy said. The Sunshine State, which initially drew them closer to Hogan, has now become home in its own right.

For Brooke, the decision to step back from her father was not easy, but it was necessary. “Sometimes, loving someone means letting go,” she wrote in her Instagram post. Her words resonated with fans and followers, many of whom shared their own stories of complicated family relationships.

Legacy and Lessons

The story of Hulk Hogan’s final years is not just about fame, wrestling, or public image. It’s a reminder that even the mightiest of heroes are vulnerable to the same struggles that affect ordinary families: misunderstandings, pride, and the pain of separation.

Oleksy’s account, and Brooke’s own words, paint a portrait of a daughter who tried—again and again—to bridge the gap with her father, and a son-in-law who stood by her side, hoping for healing that never came. In the end, Hogan’s legacy will be remembered not just for his triumphs in the ring, but for the complex, human story that played out far from the spotlight.

As the Hogan family moves forward, they do so with the bittersweet knowledge that some wounds never fully heal, but that love, in all its forms, endures.