Gawker Sued by Hogan: A Long-Running Legal Battle Comes to a Head

The high-profile legal battle between Hulk Hogan and Gawker Media has finally come to an end, with the jury awarding the professional wrestler $115 million in damages. The case began in 2012, when Hogan sued Gawker for invasion of privacy after they published a sex tape featuring him without his consent.

Throughout the trial, Hogan's attorney, Kenneth Turkel, painted Gawker as indecent gossip-mongers who make a mockery of journalism. Turkel argued that the website did not have the common decency to reach out to any of the parties involved before publishing the video excerpts and commentary, which 'probably tells you all you need to know about Gawker.'

Gawker's founder, Nick Denton, has been candid about the financial threat posed by the lawsuit. In a statement outside the courthouse, Denton read from a prepared statement that said, 'Given key evidence and the most important witness were both improperly withheld from this jury, we all knew the appeals court will need to resolve the case.'

The 'most important witness' referred to was radio host Bubba 'The Love Sponge' Clem, who made the video. However, the judge in the case quashed Gawker's subpoena to have Clem testify, citing his lack of trustworthiness.

Despite this setback, Gawker's legal team appeared to have anticipated a costly verdict and had already begun preparing an appeal. In a statement shortly after the jury retired to begin deliberations, lawyers for the New York news site said, 'We're coming back Monday for the rest of it.'

The case is not yet over, as the jury must still consider whether to impose punitive damages next week. Gawker's lawyers have argued that posting the video was protected by the First Amendment, while Hogan's team has argued that it was an invasion of privacy.

Regardless of the outcome, the case has raised important questions about the limits of freedom of speech and the role of media in our society. It remains to be seen whether Gawker will ultimately prevail on appeal or if Hogan will receive a significant portion of the damages awarded.

Gawker sued by hogan