A Quiet Tribute from Steven Oleksy as Brooke Reflects on a Final Moment with Her Father Ahead of Hulk Hogan’s Passing

26 July 2025

In the wake of iconic wrestler Hulk Hogan's sudden death at 71, his estranged daughter Brooke Hogan has embraced a final moment of clarity, and her husband, former NHL defenseman Steven Oleksy, offered the family's first public voice underlined by gratitude and solemn resolve. Two weeks before Hogan's marriage to Sky Daily, Brooke and her father exchanged a heartfelt conversation where she shared her love and concern, urging him to slow down for the sake of his health. Though estrangement followed for years, Brooke later expressed that hearing her father say “I love you” and offer a vague apology brought her peace, affirming they parted in mutual emotion rather than silence.

Despite their estrangement since 2023, Oleksy has publicly acknowledged Brooke’s grief and shared support from close friends. Brooke’s friend Ashley Kora posted an Instagram tribute noting Brooke’s deep love and loyalty to her father and her hope for him to find peace. In response, Oleksy reposted the sentiment and wrote, “Thank you for the love and support for my beautiful wife. We are incredibly lucky to have you in our lives not just during this challenging time, but always”

The family’s reflections unfold amid a backdrop of Hogan’s long funeral procession and public statements. Sky Daily, his wife since 2023, posted an emotional homage on Instagram, admitting she “wasn’t ready for this… and my heart is in pieces.” She acknowledged Hogan’s ongoing health struggles following major spine surgery and multiple operations over the years even as she had believed they still would overcome them together. “To the world, he was a legend… but to me, he was my Terry. The man I loved. My partner. My heart” she wrote.

Brooke’s decision to share the last call with dignity and without venting bitterness reflects years of a strained, largely public relationship. A 2023 phone exchange confirmed her attempt at reconciliation amid health concerns, though she described how the boundary between them remained unresolved. Reddit users echoed similar sentiments that efforts including her husband’s outreach were met coldly by Hogan, signaling that a meaningful father-daughter connection remained elusive.

For Oleksy, who married Brooke in June 2022 and with whom she welcomed twins in January 2025, his public message serves both as tribute and affirmation of their private grief. He has assumed the role of spokesperson at a time when Brooke as well as her brother Nick has retreated from public commentary to process profound loss within emotional complexity and family fracture.

Hulk Hogan’s legacy remains complex. Revered for his wrestling dominance during the 1980s and beyond, he faced controversies over public behavior, legal cases, and racial remarks that led to his removal and eventual reinstatement in the WWE Hall of Fame. In his final years, he continued to engage fans while battling physical decline, enduring more than 25 surgeries across his body a toll he wore with dignity even as it accelerated his retirement from performance and public life.

Vince McMahon, intertwined with Hogan’s career during wrestling’s global boom, lauded Hogan’s contributions in a tribute to X, calling him “the greatest WWE Superstar of all time” and crediting him as the face that propelled the company beyond its confines. McMahon, like many others including Ric Flair and The Undertaker, mourned the loss of a larger-than-life figure whose resilience inspired many, even as his personal life fractured familial bonds.

Ultimately, this moment is about more than wrestling lore. It’s about Brooke Hogan reclaiming her narrative, acknowledging that love despite distance can exist amid unresolved pain. Her final memory of her father is not about fame or legacy but about being heard, about offering care when it mattered, and about finding closure in that last connection. Oleksy’s tribute is thus a quiet gesture of protection and love the reassurance that Brooke is not alone in her grief.

In recounting their final conversation Brooke offered her father farewell in her voice. Oleksy’s own words become an echo of resilience: love persists even when broken ties endure. Their path forward may be private, but their decision to share loss with compassion even in silence speaks volumes about healing when healing seems impossible.