Overview
- Brooke Hogan posted a beachside Instagram tribute that paired photos of her late father, Hulk Hogan, with a first image of herself lying on the sand in a bikini and a caption about shared memories of the ocean.
- Many online commenters focused on the bikini photo and labeled it a “thirst trap,” with some replies using sexualized mockery instead of sympathy for her bereavement.
- In direct replies on Instagram, Brooke rejected the criticism, writing “Trust me, if I wanted to give you a thirst trap, you would have gotten one,” and saying the post reflected how she grew up and how she grieved.
- Brooke followed up by sharing edited comparisons of different body types and asking whether reactions would have differed if she looked other ways, and reporters noted the original post appears visible only to her followers so coverage has relied on screenshots.
- The episode comes against a background of Brooke’s reported estrangement from her father and earlier public disputes over his legacy, and it has reignited broader conversations about how women who mourn publicly face sexualized scrutiny and online harassment.