A Glimpse into Brooke Hogan’s Life Away from the Spotlight with Her Husband and Twins

With a surname like Hogan, avoiding the spotlight is quite the challenge — yet Brooke Hogan has succeeded, all while building a life she once thought was out of reach.

At 37, Brooke gained fame in the early 2000s through her family’s VH1 reality show, Hogan Knows Best, which aired from 2005 to 2007. Her father, wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, was the driving force behind the show, which also featured Hulk’s then-wife and Brooke’s mother, Linda, along with her brother, Nick.

She soon landed her own spinoff on VH1, Brooke Knows Best, running from 2008 to 2009.

Throughout her career, Brooke ventured into music — her 2006 hit “About Us,” featuring Paul Wall, climbed to No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 — and followed in her father’s wrestling legacy, making brief appearances in WWE and later in Total Nonstop Action (TNA) wrestling from 2012 to 2013.

Since then, Brooke has taken a step back from public life. In an exclusive conversation with Us Weekly, she shared her journey and the reasons behind her choice to step away.

“Like anyone’s life, it takes unexpected twists,” Brooke recounted to Us on Wednesday, June 25. “In my 20s, I feel like I blacked out from all the trauma and filming, and I didn’t truly enjoy those years. I had to mature quickly, be on TV, and the filming hours were endless.”

She continued, “It was all a blur. I actually created an Excel spreadsheet to track the significant dates of my life, based on input from friends to help recall what happened when.”

In 2011, Brooke relocated from Los Angeles to Nashville, where she found herself with more friends than ever.

She purchased a home in Nashville and took up bartending at Bourbon Steak inside the JW Marriott in Downtown Nashville. While bartending, she volunteered to refresh the decor of an Airbnb in need.

“My grandmother was an interior designer, and my mom loved to rearrange furniture at midnight,” Brooke shared. “I thought, ‘I can decorate this house in three days. Let’s hit At Home and Home Goods and make it happen.’”

Brooke went to work and fulfilled her promise, which unexpectedly shifted the trajectory of her career.

“The property manager walked in and said, ‘This house was vacant three days ago. Who did this?’” Brooke recalled. “My ex-boyfriend chimed in, ‘Brooke put it together.’ The manager asked if I could replicate that speed for other properties, and I said, ‘Absolutely!’”

Together with her childhood best friend and Brooke Knows Best costar, Ashley Menendez, Brooke established BB Designs by Brooke in 2018, which has grown into one of the largest interior design firms in Nashville.

“[Ashley] noticed what I was doing and said, ‘Brooke, you’re in a bit of a mess. It’s great, but it needs more structure,’” Brooke shared about Ashley joining the team. “She revamped my company, hiring new people and restructuring invoices and quotes. We had such a blast working on this together.”

Brooke mentioned her firm has successfully completed over 100 projects and typically manages “six to 10” ongoing projects each month.

On a personal note, Brooke wed former NHL player Steven Olesky, affectionately referred to as “Saint Steven,” in an intimate ceremony in June 2022.

“We just chose a lovely park, had a pastor present, and kept it simple,” Brooke described her wedding. “It wasn’t a grand affair, just a personal moment for Steve and me.”

She added, “When we tied the knot privately, both Steve and I agreed we wouldn’t have done it any differently, as it was just us and God, making for a beautiful day devoid of distractions or drama.”

In January, Brooke and Steven welcomed twins: a son, Oliver, and a daughter, Molly.

“When I look at my daughter, I can’t imagine telling her anything but that she’s beautiful and wonderful, supporting her as she follows her path in life,” Brooke reflected on motherhood. “With my son, I hope he grows to be like his father, a kind and principled man who always chooses the high road.”

In recent years, Brooke has also reconnected with her faith after it “wavered” during her time in Los Angeles.

“Everyone has moments when they question, ‘Are you there God? What is supposed to be happening?’” Brooke explained. “Looking back, I notice a pattern where every challenging period has a glimmer of something that ultimately leads to something better.”

She added, “Now that I’ve matured, I can recognize that pattern and see that it was God working through my journey, steering me towards growth even when it was painful.”

Brooke and her family have recently moved from Tennessee back to her home state of Florida.

“After 12 years in Nashville, I decided to return to Florida, as the tornadoes were downright terrifying,” Brooke confessed.

Though she returns to Nashville frequently for work, Brooke noted that returning to her roots has been a long time coming.