Clem invoked his right to not incriminate himself and wasn't called as a witness. It was never conclusively determined during the trial who leaked the video to the media. (John Pendygraft/Tampa Bay Times/Reuters) Gawker did not try to contact Hogan or the woman in the video nor did the website contact the woman's husband, DJ Bubba The Love Sponge Clem, who recorded the video.Īt trial, Hulk Hogan testified that he's not 'the same person I was before' following personal setbacks and the humiliation suffered when the online news outlet Gawker posted a video of him having sex with a friend's wife. They said Hogan didn't consent to the video, that Gawker didn't follow usual journalism procedures before posting it and that the video wasn't newsworthy. Hogan's attorneys told jurors this is the core of the case: "Gawker took a secretly recorded sex tape and put it on the Internet." Privacy versus freedom of speechĮarlier Friday, in spirited closing arguments, lawyers for Hogan and Gawker discussed themes of personal life versus celebrity and freedom of speech versus the right to privacy. Among them: assertions that Hogan filed the lawsuit to hide racist comments made on video, that the woman who Hogan had sex with knew it was being filmed, and that Hogan participated in an FBI investigation and sting because he was being extorted. The documents outline allegations, facts and conflicting testimony. The civil court judge in the case had ruled that the documents be sealed, but an appellate court sided with the media companies, saying they were of legitimate public interest. The evidence was unsealed because a group of media companies, including The Associated Press, sued for access and won. ![]() The unsealed documents will undoubtedly be key in Gawker's appeals process. There was wrestling history, videos of Hogan yukking it up with Howard Stern and, most notably, how Gawker - a 12-year-old news and gossip website in New York City- does journalism differently from legacy media. Jurors, media and thousands who followed the case on Twitter and livestream video were treated to days of details about Hogan's sex life, body part size, and images of him in thong underwear. The verdict and the unsealing of hundreds of pages of documents late in the day capped a three week judicial circus in the sleepy St. (Eve Edelheit/The Tampa Bay Times/Associated Press) Gawker Media founder Nick Denton says he will appeal a jury verdict awarding former pro-wrestler Hulk Hogan $115 million US. "It could potentially be a turning point in law." "It's a huge damage award, and just the idea that a celebrity has a right to privacy that outweighs freedom of the press and the public's right to know, that's a huge shift in American free press law," said Samantha Barbas, a law professor at the University of Buffalo and the author of The Laws of Image, which focuses on the history of libel and privacy. Hogan contended the 2012 post violated his privacy.įirst Amendment experts, media lawyers and privacy advocates watched the case closely. Hogan, whose given name is Terry Bollea, sued Gawker for $100 million US for posting a video of him having sex with his former best friend's wife. Hulk Hogan sex tape showed him 'as a person,' Gawker founder says.Hulk Hogan says he was humiliated by sex tape publication on Gawker.We think it represents a statement as to the public's disgust with the invasion of privacy disguised as journalism. Hogan's team issued a statement as well: "We're exceptionally happy with the verdict. "Given the key evidence and the most important witness in this case were withheld from the jury, we all knew the appeals court would need to resolve this case," Denton said. Just moments after the verdict, Gawker founder Nick Denton said he will appeal, based on evidence that wasn't introduced in court. The jury isn't finished they will return to court Monday to award punitive damages. The trial lasted two weeks, and Hogan wept as the verdict was read. The jurors reached the decision Friday evening, less than six hours after they began deliberations. ![]() ![]() A Florida jury sided with ex-pro wrestler Hulk Hogan on Friday and awarded him $115 million US in his sex tape lawsuit against Gawker Media.
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