Hulk Hogan or Terry Bollea in real life, is preparing for the biggest wrestle of his life: he will face his opponent the Founder of Gawker, Nick Denton, whom he sued in 2012 for posting a sex video of him and Heather Clem, who is the wife of his friend Bubba. The trial is scheduled on July 6 in Florida, and is expected to have an exchange blows between the two parties that can cost the Gawker Media $100 Million.
It was three years ago when Gawker released a video which they headlined "Even for a Minute, Watching Hulk Hogan Have Sex in a Canopy Bed is Not Safe For Work but Watch it Anyway." The video featured Hulk Hogan having sex with the wife of his former friend and Sirius Radio shock jock, Bubba the Love Sponge Clem.
According to Hogan's attorney, Charles Harder, the day after the video was released, Denton already received cease and desist demands, twice, which he ignored and kept the video posted on their site.
Gawker was forced to remove the video after legal dispute, but declined to remove the written article, which still exists until now and now they are set for trial next month in St. Petersburg.
Hogan is demanding for $100 Million for the damages, including emotional stress, loss of privacy and for his deprivation. The asking price may force Denton to sell the company's outright if he loses the case, according to the officials.
During the editorial meeting on June 4 in Gawker's headquarter, Denton discussed with his staff about the lawsuit and warned them that the lawsuit posed threat to the company.
"I have way, way less money than people think! I don't have hundreds of millions of dollars to kind of bail the company out. If we are in an environment with higher business risk and higher legal risk, then the company is going to need somebody with deeper pockets and hopefully principles in order to keep it both commercially viable and editorially viable," Denton told his staff, as the Capital Claimed.
