The Ex-WWE superstar’s daughter, Brooke Hogan, has identified her late father Hulk Hogan’s affair with one of her close friends as a pivotal moment in their complicated relationship.
Speaking to US Weekly, Brooke reflected on the breakdown of the bond she once shared with the wrestling legend and said the relationship between them changed significantly after he became involved with her friend, Christiane Plante.
Brooke said she ultimately forgave her father for what happened, but the incident left a lasting impact on their relationship.
Although she did not describe the affair as the sole reason for their estrangement, she regarded it as an important turning point.
The situation became even more complicated following Hulk Hogan’s divorce, according to Brooke.
She said the separation dramatically altered the family dynamics and contributed to years of tension and unresolved issues.
Rather than portraying the breakdown as the result of one isolated disagreement, Brooke described a much more complicated family history involving betrayal, resentment, financial pressures, fame and the difficulties of living under intense public scrutiny.
Despite the painful history, Brooke emphasized that her feelings for her father were not entirely defined by their conflicts. She recalled being extremely close to him during her childhood and said she had many happy memories of the two of them.
Her comments underline the complicated emotions surrounding their relationship: Brooke can acknowledge the hurt caused by her father while still remembering the love and security she associated with him growing up.
For Brooke, the affair with her friend marked a moment when something fundamental in their father-daughter relationship shifted, even though the family continued to experience further changes and conflicts in the years that followed.
She said, “A major turning point came after he slept with my friend Christiane [Plante]. I forgive people very easily — sometimes probably too easily — and I forgave him, but something between us changed afterward. I don’t think he ever related to me in quite the same way again.”
“Then the divorce happened, and our entire family structure changed. Over time, things became increasingly complicated until eventually the relationship I had always believed could survive anything couldn’t survive what was happening around us anymore.”
“Public perception reduces families into heroes and villains. Real families aren’t that simple.”
“There was also dysfunction, fear, resentment, enormous betrayal, money, fame, image management and decades of unresolved hurt all existing underneath the same roof.”
“I can love my father profoundly and still tell the truth about where he hurt me. I can acknowledge the wonderful things my family gave me while also acknowledging that eventually the dynamic became something I could no longer live inside. Both things can be true.”
“The foundation between my dad and me was incredibly strong. It survived public scandals, private pain, divorce, enormous changes in our family and periods of estrangement because underneath all of it there was a bond that was very real. As a little girl, I felt incredibly safe with my dad. I adored him. I have wonderful memories with him.”
