Brooke Hogan is pushing back against criticism after a social media tribute to her late father, wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, sparked backlash online and accusations that the post was inappropriate.
The controversy began after Hogan shared an Instagram post on May 20 reflecting on her father’s death, a slideshow that included personal photos and video clips spanning different periods of his life. Among them was a bikini photo taken at the beach, which quickly became the focal point for critics who labeled the tribute a “thirst trap.”
On May 22, Hogan responded directly to the reaction, rejecting the framing and pushing back at what she described as online harassment.
“Trust me, if I wanted to give you a thirst trap, you would have gotten one,” she wrote, adding that the reaction to her grief post was unfair and dismissive of her intent.
She defended the inclusion of the image, saying it reflected a personal memory and her connection to her upbringing in Florida, rather than an attempt to draw attention. In her posts, she described spending time with memories of her father and the ocean he loved, writing about grief, distance, and the complexity of their relationship.
“I am human. My father was human,” she wrote, calling out commenters who she felt had overstepped in judging her personal experience. She also addressed the strain in their relationship in recent years, noting that while they had been estranged, it did not erase her sense of loss.
The tribute itself included a range of moments from her life with Hulk Hogan, the WWE star who died in July at the age of 71. His death was attributed to a heart attack, with reports later noting he had been privately battling leukemia.
Public reaction to the post was sharply divided. Some users defended Hogan’s right to grieve in her own way, while others questioned the tone and image selection in the slideshow, particularly given the timing and subject matter.
Hogan, known for the reality series Hogan Knows Best, has long lived with a public-private split in her family story, including a strained relationship with her father in his later years. He was reportedly estranged from her at the time of his passing and left her out of his estate planning.
For Hogan, the response has turned a private moment of mourning into another public argument about perception, grief, and the limits of what social media is expected to carry.
Celebrity Hot Chicks News Sports
Last modified: May 26, 2026
