Since first emerging in the spotlight during the mid-2000s, Brooke Hogan has worn many hats. A singer, songwriter, and reality TV star, she came to fame due to her parentage, as the daughter of pro wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan. At the time that she was born — in Tampa, Florida, on May 5, 1988 — her dad (who goes by Terry Bollea outside of the ring) was the single most popular figure in pro wrestling, and arguably among the most famous, recognizable celebrities on the planet. Did she ride her father’s famous coattails in order to launch her own career as an entertainer? Of course she did.
Advertisement
However, she’s also stated that being the daughter of the Hulkster was certainly a mixed blessing; while her last name (even though it wasn’t her real one) could create opportunities, the onus would ultimately be on her to actually make something of them. “People are going to criticize me and say, ‘Oh, she’s just using her dad’s name,’ or ‘Oh, she’s just getting this push from her dad,’ but he can open the door, and I’m the one who has to walk through it,” she said when interviewed by MTV (via Oh No They Didn’t) back in 2008. “And it’ll slam right back in my face if I can’t.” If you’re wondering whatever happened to Brooke, you’ll find that her journey has definitely not been a smooth one. Read on to experience the stunning transformation of Brooke Hogan.
Advertisement
She remembers her childhood as being ‘normal’
Despite Hulk Hogan’s immense fame, Brooke Hogan remembered her childhood, growing up in Clearwater, Florida, as being a lot less unusual than people might imagine. “My brother and I only ever knew him as ‘our dad’,” she recalled in an interview with Big Frog 104.
Advertisement
“We were raised in that small little beach town, and it was nice, you know,” she told the “Hollywood Raw” podcast, remembering that even though her father was away regularly because of his job, he also spent a lot of time at home, doing regular dad stuff. “He did work a lot, honestly, but he always came back a couple days a week, and make us breakfast and take us to school … It was a pretty normal life — aside from the 18,000-square-foot house and, you know, a billion cars.” According to Hogan, living in Clearwater shielded her from just how famous her dad actually was — something she wouldn’t encounter until watching him at WrestleMania or some other high-profile wrestling event. “And then you’re just like, ‘I’m just so proud of him.’ Like, this is so cool to be a part of…”
Advertisement
Brooke Hogan was signed to a record deal at age 14
Despite growing up with a veneer of normalcy, Brooke Hogan could never truly escape the fact that she was the daughter of wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan. Once she grew old enough to really comprehend what that meant, she began to envision herself in the spotlight as well. “But when I saw how people loved him, and how people were attracted to him, I wanted that same thing … but without the bumps and bruises. That’s not my bag,” she told MTV (via Oh No They Didn’t).
Advertisement
An aspiring singer, Brooke had long demonstrated a talent music, which led her to discovered by boy-band impresario Lou Pearlman. In fact, she was 14 years old when Pearlman signed her to his record label, Trans Continental Records. Her debut album for the label, however, was never released. Pearlman — who’d launched the careers of Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC — wound up placing his label in receivership as authorities began to discover his criminal activities. Pearlman ultimately died in prison after being convicted of running a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme, while what should have been Brooke’s first album never saw the light of day.
Hogan Knows Best catapulted Brooke Hogan into the spotlight
Brooke Hogan experienced showbiz synergy at its finest when she appeared with dad Hulk Hogan in a 2005 documentary special for VH1, “(Inside) Out: Hulk Hogan, Stage Dad.” That special, which chronicled the wrestler’s efforts managing his teen daughter’s music career, came out right at the same time that her debut single, “Everything to Me,” was climbing the charts. That special spawned a reality show, “Hogan Knows Best.” The debut episode was a ratings dynamo, bringing the cable channel its highest viewership ever; suddenly, the aspiring pop singer was on her way.
Advertisement
As the Hulkster told Billboard, the show had altered public perception of his daughter as a prototypical nepo baby who was undeservedly handed a music career. “Now, there’s like this groundswell,” he mused. “They’re rooting for Brooke like she’s the underdog. They love her on the show and a lot of people have heard her music.” Understandably, she was thrilled at the focus “Hogan Knows Best” had been putting on her fledgling music career — particularly as she was in the midst of recording a second debut album after the first was scrapped. “It’s just like my dad said, it puts you on that even playing field, you know, with Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff…” she said when she and her family appeared on CNN’s “Larry King Live.” “And it’s really opened a lot of doors for me …”
Advertisement
She starred in her own TV spinoff after her parents’ marriage imploded
When Brooke Hogan unveiled her first album, 2006’s “Undiscovered,” it certainly benefited from the success “Hogan Knows Best.” Yet while the show brought them all fame — much like reality TV made stars out of Ozzy Osbourne’s wife, Sharon, and their kids, Jack Osbourne and future “Fashion Police” star Kelly Osbourne — it also precipitated huge cracks in the marriage of Hulk Hogan and his wife, Linda. When Hulk and Linda split after 24 years, “Hogan Knows Best” ended along with their marriage. VH1 tried to salvage its hit show by spinning off Brooke into her own series, “Brooke Knows Best.” Running for just two seasons until its cancellation in 2009, the show continued to chronicle her quest to become a pop star, assisted by her bestie, Ashley Menendez, and their pal, choreographer Glenn Douglas Packard.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, her parents’ tabloid-ready shenanigans proved to be a constant distraction that pulled focus from her efforts to establish herself as a singer. That was particularly true of her 48-year-old mother’s romance at the time, with a 19-year boyfriend with whom Brooke had attended high school. “I don’t believe what’s going on you know,” Brooke told “Access Hollywood” of her mom (as reported by Today.com), admitting the whole thing had strained their once-close relationship.
Her second album flopped hard
When Brooke Hogan’s “Undiscovered” proved to be a hit — the single “About Us” made it to No. 1 on the U.S. Top Singles Sales Charts — it was a no-brainer that she’d record a followup. Her second album, 2009’s “The Redemption,” was lauded by music critics as her best work yet, showcasing her abilities as a songwriter. “It’s about my image and it’s about my life story as it’s unfolding,” she told Examiner (via Oh No They Didn’t) of her sophomore LP, explaining why she refused to collaborate with other songwriters as she had with her first album. “I didn’t want anyone’s heart or words or feelings to be on this album,” she said. “I wanted them to be my songs. I wanted it to be really honest.”
Advertisement
Despite her hopes for “The Redemption,” the album bombed hard, selling a measly 15,000 copies. And while that commercial failure didn’t completely shut the door on what had been a promising music career, it certainly narrowed the field of opportunities for her. While Hogan never completely gave up on music, she was forced to explore other avenues, which ultimately propelled her in some unexpected directions.
Brooke joined a pro wrestling league and got fake-married
In the wake of disappointing sales for “The Redemption” and VH1’s cancellation of “Brooke Knows Best,” Brooke Hogan took a complete 180 from music and reality TV by joining TNA Wrestling in 2012. According to the wrestling league’s president, Dixie Carter, the erstwhile singer was now a TNA executive responsible for The Knockouts, TNA’s new roster of female wrestlers. “I asked if she would consider teaming up with me in this capacity while she also worked on her music, and I was thrilled when she said ‘yes’. A big personality runs in her genes …” Carter told BANG Showbiz, as reported by CTV News.
Advertisement
“My whole job is just to … we’re dealing with a couple things like tag teams kind of, who’s fighting who, and I just had to come in there and straighten it all out, ’cause they’re all over the place right now,” Hogan explained while appearing on “Sway in the Morning.” Meanwhile, Hogan also appeared at matches, and became part of the TNA storyline via a faux romance with wrestler Bully Ray. When he popped the question in the ring, the result was a not-at-all-real wedding — which, predictably, was ruined when a full-on pro-wrestling melee broke out.Ultimately, she wound up moving on from TNA Wrestling about a year later. Her exit, albeit amicable, was reportedly not her choice, but came at the behest of Carter.
Advertisement
She was briefly engaged to an NFL star
While Brooke Hogan’s TNA marriage was clearly fake, in real life she was dating Dallas Cowboys star star Phil Costa. In June 2013, Hogan revealed that she and Costa had gotten engaged, breaking the news in an Instagram post (which she later deleted). “Happiest moment of my LIFE. I am marrying my best friend I [wouldn’t] choose anyone else,” she wrote in that post, reported at the time by TV Guide.
Advertisement
A mere five months later, however, it was all over. While neither Hogan not Costa offered any reasons for their split, distance could have played a big factor in the decision to end the engagement. “Brooke moved back to L.A. [from Dallas] a couple of weeks ago to be closer to her mom Linda Hogan and she is currently in the studio working on her album,” her rep told E! News, noting that Hogan’s upcoming album— ostensibly her third — would be released in the early part of 2014.
Another potential reason behind the breakup emerged when her dad, Hulk Hogan, revealed that he did everything he could to slam the brakes on his daughter’s relationship with Costa. “I love the Dallas Cowboys, been a fan forever. But my daughter was engaged to one of those guys and he didn’t walk the walk and talk the talk,” Hogan told Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan (via CBS News). “I put a bullet in that really quick. There was no way my daughter was going to marry somebody that I don’t like that got me mad, or has got in my face.”
Advertisement
She tried to reinvent herself as a country music artist
As promised, Brooke Hogan unveiled some new music in 2015, a five-song EP titled “I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend,” and its leadoff single, “Girlfriend.” With this project, Hogan introduced a whole new feel that was miles away from her earlier pop records, rebranding herself as a country singer with a twangy, Nashville sound that placed her alongside the likes of longtime friends Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton.
Advertisement
In an interview with Big Frog 104, she revealed that she’d recently moved to Nashville, and had become enamored of the music she was hearing, and had decided to go all-in on country. “I fell in love with Nashville because of the songwriters,” she explained. “I really learned that art of songwriting in Nashville. It’s hard for me to listen to anything but country.”
While such a seemingly radical genre switch may have seemed jarring to those who only knew her as a pop singer, Hogan felt that her new musical direction remained right in step with who she’d always been. “People always want to box you in and say well, what are you?” Hogan explained in an interview with “Entertainment Tonight.” “You have to be country, or you have to be pop, and I am like, what if I was raised on a bunch of music? What if I just love music?”
Advertisement
She made a reality TV comeback
After making inroads into the country music scene, Brooke Hogan’s next venture was an all-female wrestling league she was planning to launch alongside some other daughters of pro wrestlers, including the daughters of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Kerry Von Erich, and Diamond Dallas Page. “We’ve got a roster of 40-plus women, so there’s some really incredible talent that we’ve got,” she told Uproxx in 2017.
Advertisement
Those plans never took flight, and later that year she returned to the familiar ground of reality television, hosting TV modeling competition “The Fashion Hero.” When the series returned for a second season, it was without Hogan; the series’ new host was Mel B, whose iconic Spice Girls nickname was Scary Spice. Hogan, however, wasn’t done with reality TV just yet, and appeared as one of the contestants on MTV hit, “The Challenge” in the “Champs vs. Stars” season.
As Hogan explained in an interview with TV Insider, she was initially tentative about how she’d fare on “The Challenge,” given the physical and psychological demands that the show places on its participants. “I was all things scared,” she admitted, but was able to eventually talk herself into it. “I thought, ‘Hey, it’s a challenge. It’s a competition. I’m athletic. This might push me and test my boundaries, and I’m up for it,'” she added.
Advertisement
Brooke Hogan launched herself as an interior designer for Airbnbs
In the midst of those forays into reality TV, Brooke Hogan never stopped plugging away at her music career. In 2019, she released a new single, “Touch My Body,” that shifted away from the country of “I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend” and returned to the pop sound she’d established years earlier. However, as she told LA Weekly in 2020, she had some other irons in the fire — including a business endeavor that had nothing to do with the entertainment industry. “I released a song, I’m doing a workout legging line and … well I don’t really tell anybody, but I have an interior design business out of Nashville,” she divulged. “So I’ve just been working on growing that, making things bigger and better there too.”
Advertisement
Her collaborator in that enterprise, BB Designs by Brooke, was Ashley Menendez, her co-star on “Brooke Knows Best,” with the two offering design expertise specifically for Airbnb rentals. “If you haven’t heard, I started an Airbnb design company in Nashville a few years ago, and it’s doing really well!” Brooke declared in a 2021 Instagram post. Working in design, she told LA Weekly, reflected the pragmatism she’d developed from all the ups and downs her showbiz career had taken over the years. “You have to have a real job when the entertainment business doesn’t work out,” she said.
She married a hockey player — but didn’t tell anyone
Aside from her fake pro-wrestling romance with Bully Ray and her broken engagement to NFL player Phil Costa, Brooke Hogan largely kept details of her private life to herself. That changed, however, in early 2024, when she revealed that she was married, and had been for some time. “A rare sighting of the husband,” she wrote in an Instagram post featuring a selfie of herself and her husband, NHL hockey player Steven Olesky. “We like to keep to ourselves, but somehow the news is out.” In 2023, TMZ did some digging and discovered that the two had wed back in 2022 — but had kept their marital status top secret for that entire time.
Advertisement
Maintaining privacy in her personal life, she explained in a 2024 interview with TMZ, was something that had become increasingly important to her over the years, perhaps due to watching her parents’ messy divorce and her dad’s various scandals play out under the harsh glare of the spotlight. “We asked people to try to respect it because, you know, I’ve been through so much stuff in my life,” she said. “I was like, ‘the one thing that feels like it’s just so untouched and it’s so pure, I just don’t want to let the claws of fame sink its teeth into our relationship.” Once the cat was out of the bag, however, she proudly embraced her status as a spouse. In her Instagram bio, she began going by Brooke Olesky, indicating she’d taken her husband’s surname.
Advertisement
She put some distance between herself and her family
While Brooke Hogan strove to keep her private life out of the media’s scrutiny, that certainly hadn’t been the case for her parents — particularly her famous father, Hulk Hogan. Since he split from Brooke’s mom, Linda Hogan, the wrestler had married and divorced second wife, Jennifer McDaniel, and then, in 2023, married 25-years-younger third wife Sky Daily.
Advertisement
When people began to comment about her absence from her dad’s 2023 nuptials, Brooke issued a prolonged and somewhat cryptic statement via Instagram. “Instead of leaving it to speculation, I decided it’s better to shut it all down here,” she wrote in that post. “As we all experience this with our own families, the dynamics of a family unit continuously change over the years. With that being said, my family has experienced a LOT of change.” She concluded by explaining that she’d made a conscious decision to remove herself from a situation she apparently felt was not conducive to her well-being, “I have chosen to create some distance between myself and my family,” she wrote, “and am focusing on people and things that heal my heart and align with my own personal beliefs, goals, and values.”
Advertisement
Her mother offered a bit of clarification in a social media post in which she blamed her ex-husband for Brooke pulling herself away from both of them. “His actions turned her against the whole family,” she wrote, as reported by Wrestling News. “Brooke has dumped our entire family!” she continued. Although some stars choose fame over family, Brooke appears to be simply prioritizing her peace.
