Bollea v. Gawker

Bollea's claims included invasion of privacy, infringement of personality rights, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

[9] Gawker Media's assets, not including the namesake website, were subsequently sold to Univision Communications.

[12] On The Howard Stern Show, Bollea told Stern that he had slept with Heather with Bubba Clem's blessing and his encouragement because he was so burnt-out from the trauma of his coming divorce that he finally gave in to the "relentless" come-ons from Heather who "kept going down that road."

"[12] Bubba testified that he burned the video to a DVD, wrote "Hogan" on it, and put it in a desk drawer.

Daulerio published a two-minute extract from the 30-minute video, including 10 seconds of explicit sexual activity.

[16] U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore denied Bollea's motion, ruling that the validity of the copyright was in question, and that given the degree to which Bollea had already put his own private life into the public arena, the publication of the video might be protected by fair use.

[8] Reactions to the verdict ranged from those supporting it and decrying voyeuristic publications, to those describing it as of limited scope which doesn't damage free speech, to those describing the verdict and the large judgment as having a deeply chilling effect on journalism when courts can decide newsworthiness.

[32] In May 2016, it was reported that Bollea had sued Gawker again, alleging that they were responsible for leaking sealed court documents that had quoted him using racial slurs.

The transcripts were published by the National Enquirer, and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) subsequently fired him.

[40] Univision Communications bought Gawker Media's assets for $135 million at a bankruptcy auction on August 16, 2016.

[41] The sale to Univision included six Gawker websites—Deadspin, Gizmodo, Jalopnik, Jezebel, Kotaku, and Lifehacker—which were not involved with the publication of the Bollea materials.

[11] Other lawsuits followed naming Hiscox Insurance, Cox Radio, Terry Bollea, Mike Calta (of the Mike Calta Show), and Matthew Christian Lloyd (a radio personality formerly employed by Bubba the Love Sponge).