Brooke Hogan stopped speaking to her father, late WWE legend Hulk Hogan, because of the way he treated her – not because of his new wife, Sky Daily.

That is according to Brooke’s husband, former NHL star Steven Oleksy, who has lifted the lid on the estrangement in the years before Hogan’s death last month.

The wrestling icon suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away at the age of 71. By then, Hogan had gone years without speaking to Brooke, 37, and, according to Oleksy, he had ‘no interest’ in meeting his daughter’s twins. 

Hogan married his third wife, Daily, in 2023. Brooke did not attend the wedding but her husband told PEOPLE that it was ‘not the case at all’ that Brooke cut communications because she disapproved of the relationship. 

In fact, Oleksy accused Hogan of pushing that false narrative. 

‘My wife will say it — it had nothing to do with his new wife. It had to do with the way he treated (Brooke),’ Oleksy said. ‘It was a situation where she loved her dad very, very much.’

Hulk Hogan and daughter Brooke, who took a ‘step back’ from the WWE icon before his death

The wrestling legend died last month at the age of 71 after suffering a cardiac arrest

Brooke welcomed twins with husband Steven Oleksy in January but Hogan never met them 

But Oleksy claimed that Brooke paid a heavy price for standing by her father, who was caught at the center of several scandals – including when he used racial slurs in reference to her ex-boyfriend. That support had ‘really taken a toll on her,’ her husband said.

Oleksy and Brooke tied the knot in June 2022 without Hogan. Oleksy claims that the wrestling legend told him he ‘doesn’t do weddings or funerals anymore.’

And the final straw, according to Oleksy, was a ‘series of phone calls’ between father and daughter when ‘there were some things said, and a lot of mistruths.’ 

In the two years between Hogan marrying Daily and the wrestling legend’s shock death, Oleksy stayed in touch with his wife’s family, telling PEOPLE he was trying ‘to keep that door open and understand if I should protect my wife or try to mend the relationship.’

But every conversation with his father-in-law, the former hockey player said, ‘just led me further to protect my family and my wife at all costs.’

He told PEOPLE that, Brooke’s love for her family brought ‘heartache and… many challenges that she’s faced in the public and that she still faces today because of others’ actions.’

Following Hogan’s death, Brooke released a heartbreaking statement in which she said she ‘had to step away to protect my heart.’

Oleksy claimed he tried to mend the relationship between Hogan and his daughter Brooke

 He is best known for his stints with the Washington Capitals and rival Pittsburgh Penguins

‘My dad’s blood ‘runs through my veins. His eyes shine through my children. And our bond has never broken, not even in his final moments.’

She continued: ‘We had a connection deeper than words, one that spanned lifetimes. I am so grateful 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. When he left this earth, it felt like part of my spirit left with him. I felt it before the news even reached us.’ 

Towards the end of his life, Brooke claimed, Hogan ‘made a choice to walk the path that clearly tore at his spirit,’ adding that she ‘felt a disconnect. What followed were respectful disagreements that took an emotional toll on me.’

‘During the last two years, I had to step away to protect my heart. My husband stayed open, quietly reaching out to my dad without me knowing, trying to find a safe way back in for me. After my father passed, I read those messages, some answered, some ignored… but all of them broke my heart.’

She insisted: ‘We never had a “big fight.” My father and I never “fought.” It was a series of private phone calls no one will ever hear, know, or understand.’

Brooke and her father arrive for the MTV Video Music Awards in Miami back in 2004 

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Brook won’t be left anything in her father’s will.

According to TMZ, the 37-year-old feared being caught up in a bitter financial battle in the wake of her father’s death and didn’t trust anyone in his inner circle.

So she asked to be removed as a beneficiary of his estate in 2023 – the same year as her final conversation with the wrestling icon.

Brooke reportedly attempted to address the issue with her father but after years of disagreements and her words falling on deaf ears, she contacted his financial manager and made the decision to be excluded from the will.

Hogan’s estate is estimated to be worth $25million, according to reports. Brooke is the daughter of Hogan and his ex-wife Linda – to whom he was married from 1983 to 2009.