LOS ANGELES — When your best friend and your father allegedly have an affair, isn’t it normal to feel, well, a little upset?
Reality TV starlet Brooke Hogan is suffering amid recent allegations that her famous father Hulk Hogan had an affair with her best friend, 33-year-old Christiane Plante, [pictured] triggering the breakdown of his 24-year marriage to wife Linda.
Plante told The National Enquirer last week that she “grew close” to the world-champion wrestler and their romantic relationship started at a time when he and his ex-wife “privately knew their marriage was ending.” However, 19-year-old Brooke has publicly lashed out at her former best friend, via MySpace (the post has since been taken down).
“I think she shoulda thought about what kinda press she was gonna get when she slept with her best friend’s famous father … I think we’re all seeing just exactly how karma works Christiane. Nothing you say will ever put my family back together,” Brooke wrote on her blog.
According to Patrick Wanis, the celebrity life coach and human behavior expert who coached the family on their show “Hogan Knows Best,” Brooke is the unfortunate victim who has to now deal with losing the faith she once had in her father and best friend.
“Brooke is a sweet, sensitive and vulnerable girl. Loyalty to her is paramount. She isn’t the sort of girl who opens up or trusts easily, but once she does she usually creates a lifelong bond with friends,” said Wanis. “For Brooke to be betrayed by someone (Christiane) with whom she worked and considered a friend — maybe best friend — is truly devastating.”
So why is Brooke lashing out at the woman rather than her father?
“Brooke is someone who looks up to her father, and based on my experience with other clients, she will most likely subconsciously feel that dad has let her down,” said Wanis. “But she may not want to admit to herself because it would crush her image of dad and thus she may choose to shift or project the anger toward the mistress.”
Another inside source, however, has told Tarts that Brooke is “coming to terms” with the alleged affair.
“Naturally, Brooke was very upset and she used her blog to express that,” said the pal. “But she realizes now that this is a personal issue and probably needs to be dealt with in a more personal way. She’s a strong girl; she is coming to terms with it all and coping with this as best she can.”
A rep for Hulk Hogan had “no comment.”
Plante responds: I did NOT leak the story of my affair to the National Enquirer, nor was I paid ANY amount of money to issue my statement. In other words, I was framed.
Here is the name and number of the National Enquirer reporter who showed up at my door one morning as I was leaving for work, 2 days after I had confessed the truth of the affair to Brooke upon her confrontation-you can call him or anyone at the Enquirer and ask them for yourself if I tipped them or if I was paid anything for my confession: Darryl Wrobel (305) 205-XXXX.
Upon being presented with evidence that Mr. Wrobel had concrete and obvious knowledge and proof of the affair (”What was the nature of your relationship with Hulk Hogan?” I said we were friends. Him: “Really? What about that letter you gave to Brooke two nights ago?” I was so taken aback, I completely broke down.)
I decided I owed [Brooke Hogan] and the Hogan family a formal apology for my actions, which was my sole statement.
You won’t find me signing a deal for a tell-all book on the Hogans, pimping out juicy details of the affair, appearing on television to milk this 15 minutes for all it’s worth or anything of the sort. You can’t even find any pictures of me online.
I am ashamed of what has taken place and it has caused me a lot of pain both personally and professionally. Call me what you want, but I did NOT leak this gossip to the press NOR did I gain ANY $$$ from it. It makes me wonder who has truly benefited by selling the story to the Enquirer and who has ca$hed in on this affair becoming public knowledge. Anyhow, we all know how karma works..
Thank you,
Christiane Plante