Hulk Hogan may not have made amends with his family before his death.
“Hulk and his son, Nick, were very close,” a source close to the family tells Us Weekly. “Nick got married recently and lives down in Florida near his dad. They got on great — it was a solid father-son relationship.”
The insider noted that Hulk (whose real name was Terry Gene Bollea) and ex-wife Linda Hogan “did not talk at all,” while the former WWE wrestler and his daughter, Brooke, “hadn’t made up” as of two weeks ago. (Hulk and Linda, who were married from 1983 to 2009, shared Nick and Brooke.)
Hulk’s family confirmed to Us on Thursday, July 24, that he died at age 71. The Clearwater Police Department shared that Hulk suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida.
Before his death, Us confirmed that the Hogan family was estranged. (Hulk was also married to Jennifer McDaniel from 2010 to 2021. He tied the knot with wife Sky Daily in 2023.)
The family tension came to a head in March when Brooke claimed via Instagram that she had been “extremely verbally and mentally abused” throughout her childhood. Linda, for her part, confirmed in a separate post that she was estranged from her daughter and noted they hadn’t spoken for eight years.
Nick Hogan, Brooke Hogan, Linda Hogan and Hulk Hogan George Napolitano/FilmMagic
“I have completely separate reasons for going no contact with each of my parents,” Brooke explained at the time. “No contact with my mom has nothing to do with my dad, and no contact with my father has nothing to do with my mother. … This decision was made based purely on how they have each dealt with me my entire life.”
Hulk and Brooke’s estrangement was a “much more recent thing,” a source told Us at the time, noting that the former professional wrestler would tell people “he doesn’t specifically know why Brooke won’t speak to him.”
Over the years, stars including Jennette McCurdy and Macaulay Culkin have discussed hitting rock bottom with their parents. Jennette broke down the abuse she faced because of her mother, Debra McCurdy, in her memoir, I Am Glad My Mom Died. “Of course, there are moments where I fantasize that my mom would’ve apologized or that […]
The insider pointed to tension potentially originating from Hulk and Linda’s split. “A lot of damage was done during their divorce,” the source shared, adding that Hulk “has for sure tried to be a good dad” over the years.
Nick, for his part, has felt “caught in the middle” of the family drama, a source told Us in April.
“He has pressure from a lot of different people to just kind of stay where he is. You know, just stay quiet,” the insider shared. “He has a lot to lose from a few different ends. He can’t really support anybody in the situation. He’s just trying to stay out of it as much as possible to make sure he’s in good graces with as many people as he can be.”
