Former pro wrestling giant Hulk Hogan has scored another win against Gawker.
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A Florida jury awarded punitive damages totaling $25 million on Monday in a second blow to Gawker, coming on top of the $115 million the online news outlet must pay for posting a sex tape of the former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan.
On Wednesday, a juror from the case opened up about why exactly the jury laid down such harsh compensatory AND punitive damages to the controversial site.
So what does this mean for Gawker now?
Hogan’s legal team said in a statement to ETonline, “We are extremely happy with the verdict and Mr. Bollea feels vindicated”. Steven, welcome to the program. And where I grew up was south Tampa and it was a really rough neighborhood, very low income, and all of my friends, we greeted each other saying that word. What should we read from these numbers? We protected a lot of people from, maybe, going through what I went through.
And certainly if the whole case is overturned, you know, they wouldn’t be responsible for paying any of that. “Everyone knows what Gawker’s brand is”, Baysinger said.
“We were doing what was right, even if we would have lost, even if we would have lost, it would have been good because everyone would have known what Gawker is all about because I exposed them for what they do, how they look at the world”. Is that a problem for the media company?
Hogan’s lawsuit requested damages from Gawker for emotional distress and invasion of privacy.
In his CNBC appearance, Denton continued his refrain that the sex tape was newsworthy. Now obviously, the jury disagreed.
“Juries generally do not like the media”, he said after the verdict.
Denton said he expects Gawker’s appeal to continue for a year.
But if the courts rule against the plea of Gawker Media, the company will find itself in a tough position financially.
“I heard them say the number and I said, ‘What?”
“It is me and Nick Denton in the bathroom by ourselves”.
Gawker’s founder, Nick Denton, said he will appeal and expressed confidence the verdict will be reversed. “Said Gawker attorney Mike Berry, “$115 million is punishment enough… “I can make a million excuses”.
CORNISH: Steven Perlberg covers media and advertising for The Wall Street Journal.
Gawker’s video included excerpts from a 30-minute sex tape the company obtained without knowing its origin.
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“There is so much this jury deserved to know and, fortunately, that the appeals court does indeed know”, Deitrick continued.
