The long battle between Hulk Hogan and the website Gawker is finally heading to trial today in St. Petersburg, Florida. The wrestling star, whose real name is Terry Bollea, has sued Gawker for posting scenes of a sex tape in 2012.
Gawker posted a long story about the sex tape and included scenes from it. In it, Bollea is seen having sex with Heather Clem, the then-wife of Florida radio shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge. Bollea then sued Gawker for $100 million for violation of privacy. Gawker has claimed that the clip was newsworthy because the wrestler has talked about his sex life in the past. Therefore, publishing it should be covered under the First Amendment.
Bollea’s lawyer, David Houston, insists that the video was made without the wrestler’s consent.
“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,” Gawker said in a statement to ABC News. “Hulk Hogan bragged about his sex life for years [and] denied this particular sexual encounter.”
The trial has a six-member jury. It should last three weeks and Hogan is expected to testify.