Hulk Hogan wins $ 115 million in suit over sex tape
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A Florida jury sided with expro wrestler Hulk Hogan on Friday and awarded him $ 115 million in his sex tape lawsuit against Gawker Media.
The jurors reached the decision Friday evening, less than six hours after they began deliberations. The trial lasted two weeks, and Hogan wept as the verdict was read.
The jury isn’t finished; they will return to court Monday to consider punitive damages. Just moments after the verdict, Gawker founder Nick Denton said he will appeal, based on evidence that wasn’t introduced in court.
“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.
Hogan’s team issued a statement as well: “We’re exceptionally happy with the verdict. We think it represents a statement as to the public’s disgust with the invasion of privacy disguised as journalism.”
Hogan, 62, whose given name is Terry Bollea, sued Gawker for $ 100 million for posting a video of him having sex with his former best friend’s wife. Hogan contended the 2012 post violated his privacy.
Jurors, media and thousands who followed the case on Twitter and live- stream video were treated to days of details about Hogan’s sex life, body part size, and images of him in thong underwear. There was wrestling history, videos of Hogan yukking it up with Howard Stern and, most notably, how Gawker — a 12year- old news and gossip website in New York City— does journalism differently from legacy media.
Earlier 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.
Hogan’s attorneys told jurors that 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. 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.
Hogan didn’t ask for any of this to happen, lawyer Kenneth Turkel said, adding that Bollea, the private man, expected privacy during an intimate moment.
Gawker’s attorneys argued Hogan spoke publicly about the tape.
“He has consistently chosen to put his private life out there, for public consumption,” attorney Michael Sullivan said.