Brooke Hogan’s husband, Steve Oleksy, has revealed the ugly truth about why she removed herself from her dad Hulk Hogan’s will.
“I believe my wife upheld her Dad’s best interests even after his death, mustering up all the courage and kindness she could despite still being very hurt,” Oleksy, 39, told Us Weekly Wednesday.
“That money does not represent accomplishments in the ring — the majority of it came at the expense of my wife’s dignity. It was built on hurtful comments about her and her past relationship, which caused pain not only to her, but to many other families.”
The NHL star was referring to the alleged racial slurs Hulk, born Terry Gene Bollea, called Brooke’s former boyfriend in audio from his sex tape that was leaked by Gawker in 2012.
In the video of Hulk having sex with his then-best friend’s wife, Heather Cole, he used the the n-word multiple times and pronounced himself a “racist, to a point.”
The WWE star filed a lawsuit against Gawker the following year and was awarded $31 million dollars in a settlement, bankrupting the now-defunct news outlet.
“While one life was positively changed forever from a financial standpoint, the true victims never received a direct apology — and, despite the life-altering embarrassment, they never received or asked for a single dollar in compensation,” Oleksy told Us.
“My wife was put in a position to defend someone without knowing the full truth — unaware the remarks were tied to a sex tape and that the context and use of the derogatory language was directed at her and her ex, and conveniently misinformed of the transcripts.”
Oleksy added, “These are the realities we live with every day. No amount of money can erase that pain or restore what was taken.”
Brooke, 37, and her father were estranged in the years leading up to the wrestling legend’s death, but she broke her silence on her dad’s tragic passing in an emotional message Tuesday.
“My dad’s blood runs through my veins,” she said in a statement shared via Instagram.
“His eyes shine through my children. And our bond has never broken, not even in his final moments. We had a connection deeper than words, one that spanned lifetimes. I am so grateful that I knew the real version of him. Not just the one the world viewed through a carefully curated lens. We shared a quiet, sacred bond, one that could be seen and felt by anyone who witnessed us together.”
The “Brooke Knows Best” star also cleared up the misconceptions about their relationship before closing her statement.
“My father and I never ‘fought.’ It was a series of private phone calls no one will ever hear know or understand,” she said.
“Everything started getting covered in a thick veil,” Brooke wrote. “It was like there was a force field around him that I couldn’t get through.”
“All I ever wanted from my father was love, honesty and a deep connection,” Brooke wrote. “And for a few special years, I had that — with memories that will last a lifetime. My world is forever changed. But I’m deeply blessed with a loving husband and two beautiful children who remind me every day of life’s greatest gifts.”
“I’m deeply grateful for the love, tributes, and memorials from his fans and friends. His life was one worth celebrating — and always will be,” Brooke concluded.
Over the years, the mom of two accused Hulk and her mother, Linda, of “vicious” abuse. Hulk and Linda were married from 1983 to 2009 and also share a son, Nick.
Despite their estrangement, a source close to the Hogan family told Page Six that there was still a lot of love between the father and daughter and that Hulk “was very proud of her, she was his little girl.”
Hulk was pronounced dead the morning of July 24 in Clearwater, Fla., after suffering from cardiac arrest.
“We are heartbroken. He was such a great human being and friend,” his reps told us at the time.
