8:37
- ABC News
- March 3, 2016
Hulk Hogan's $100 Million Legal Battle Against Gawker Begins
The wrestler is suing Gawker over the release of a sex tape.
8:37
Jury selection is underway in a St. Petersburg, Florida, courtroom for the case, which centers on the video of Hogan’s having sex with Heather Clem. Clem was, at the time, married to Hogan’s former best friend, Florida radio DJ Todd Clem, aka “Bubba the Love Sponge.”
The tape is believed to have been recorded sometime between 2006 and 2007.
“This is an incredible invasion of Mr. Bollea’s privacy,” Hogan’s lawyer, David Houston, told ABC News. “The video was taken without his knowledge and or consent.”
Gawker argues the tape and Hogan’s affair were newsworthy and therefore protected by the First Amendment.
\"We are defending the First Amendment against Hulk Hogan's effort to create a world where celebrities can promote themselves around any topic, in this case sex, and then veto how the media covers their lives...Hulk Hogan bragged about his sex life for years [and] denied this particular sexual encounter,\" the website said in a statement to ABC News.
Hogan maintains the leaked tape has damaged both his personal and his professional life. In addition, he was wiped from the WWE Hall of Fame in July after the National Enquirer released a previously unheard audio clip from a secretly recorded private encounter in which Hogan is heard making racial slurs.
Hogan, 62, told ABC News’ Amy Robach last year that he was near suicidal after the audio’s release.
\"I was at the lowest point of my life, to the point where I wanted to kill myself,” Hogan said in the August 2015 interview.
Opening arguments in the trial are expected to begin on Monday. Hogan is expected to testify in the trial, which is anticipated to last about three weeks.
","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/hulk-hogans-100-million-legal-battle-gawker-begins/story?id=37364586","legacySlug":"/culture/story/hulk-hogans-100-million-legal-battle-gawker-begins-37364586","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"20:52","publishDate":"03-03-2016","updatedTime":"08:30","updatedDate":"03-12-2016","socialImage":{"alt":"VIDEO: Hulk Hogan and Gawker in $100 Million Legal Battle","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/160303_gma_janis2_0731_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"3/3/2016 20:52:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":37364586,"headline":"Hulk Hogan's $100 Million Legal Battle Against Gawker Begins","mediaAssetTitle":"GMA_Hulk Hogan and Gawker_160303","description":"The wrestler is suing Gawker over the release of a sex tape.","duration":"8:37","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2016/03/160312_ntl_hulk_1249_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["137060236","137028746","136712647"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"October 7, 2026","headline":"French protests as hundreds of schools partially shut down this week","section":"News","slug":"/video/137060236","id":"137060236","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: French protests as hundreds of schools partially shut down this week","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: French protests as hundreds of schools partially shut down this week","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"October 6, 2026","headline":"How abandoned mines across America are wreaking havoc on homeowners","section":"News","slug":"/video/137028746","id":"137028746","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: How abandoned mines across America are wreaking havoc on homeowners","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: How abandoned mines across America are wreaking havoc on homeowners","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"September 24, 2026","headline":"Tracking the Nor'easter impacting the East Coast ","section":"News","slug":"/video/136712647","id":"136712647","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Tracking the Nor'easter impacting the East Coast and hurricane heading for Hawaii","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Tracking the Nor'easter impacting the East Coast and hurricane heading for Hawaii","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Hulk Hogan's $100 Million Legal Battle Against Gawker Begins","description":"The wrestler is suing Gawker over the release of a sex tape.","duration":"8:37","uploadDate":"03-03-2016","publication":"03-03-2016","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2016/03/160312_ntl_hulk_1249_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2016/03/160312_ntl_hulk_1249_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/hulk-hogans-100-million-legal-battle-gawker-begins-37364586"}},"playlist":[{"id":"137443017","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136253720","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137220313","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137234817","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137147457","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137132187","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136945841","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136945748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136930796","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136874802","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136841854","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136766868","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136694294","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136682772","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136631130","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136644492","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136623234","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136614308","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136605272","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136553132","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Hulk Hogan's $100 Million Legal Battle Against Gawker Begins","pubTime":"15:52","pubDate":"03-03-2016","modTime":"03:30","modDate":"03-12-2016","taxonomyTags":"none","id":37364586,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Hulk Hogan's $100 Million Legal Battle Against Gawker Begins","mediaAssetTitle":"GMA_Hulk Hogan and Gawker_160303","videoId":37364586,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/culture/story/hulk-hogans-100-million-legal-battle-gawker-begins-37364586"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/37364586","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/37364586","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};