He said that he’s always Hulk Hogan on the street because that’s how the public sees him.
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When he and Heather did eventually have sex, Hogan claims he felt something was wrong, and asked whether they were being taped.
Hogan testified Monday that it’s “part of the deal, you’ve lost your anonymity when you become Hulk Hogan”. Bubba Clem handed him a condom, he testified. He is asking for $100 million in damages.
And when he learned that his best friend, radio host Bubba “the Love Sponge” Clem, could be heard on the full sex tape bragging that he could collect a fortune from the footage, Hogan said he was “violently shaking”.
For about 30 minutes, Hogan and Heather were recorded having sex with each other.
“After further investigation, I am now convinced that Hulk Hogan was unaware of the presence of the recording device in my bedroom”, he said in a statement.
Hogan is suing Gawker for $100 million for publishing a resulting sex videotape.
The wrestler, wearing a signature bandana with a black suit and a cross necklace, called the Hogan character “completely opposite” to his true personality, which he described as soft-spoken and non-argumentative. Most are settled out of court, an option that proved elusive to both Hogan and Gawker in the years leading up to this point. However, the video was filmed without Hogan’s consent.
The lawyer for the New York-based website says Gawker has a right to address uncomfortable subjects, reject spin by celebrities and tell the truth.
Gawker argues that its 2012 post is protected free speech under the First Amendment of the US Constitution, and contends it was reporting on a celebrity who has publicly discussed his sex life.
Of course, it will be up to a jury to decide whether or not Gawker actually invaded Hulk Hogan’s privacy, or if Hogan is trying to silence Gawker to keep them from making him look bad. It’s still unclear who sent it in. “He is a human being, he has imperfections, he has flaws, he makes mistakes”.
The attorney told jurors Hogan will take the stand during the trial.
“Gawker will do anything, say anything, and attempt anything to disguise what amounts to reprehensible conduct”.
In the days leading up to his trial against Gawker, Hulk Hogan promised to deliver a blow against the news site on par with his famous body slam of Andre the Giant during Wrestlemania III almost three decades ago.
The jury of nine, which includes three alternates, is made up of six women and three men.
“This case isn’t about this celebrity’s penis or that celebrity ” s breast”, he said, during the hearing that was streamed live by the website. Gawker attorneys also tried to raise doubt about whether the wrestler knew about the filming. “Your conservative St. Petersburg people might view this as smut”.
Vogt noted that Gawker marketed the Hogan video as “the heavyweight champ of sex tapes” and alleged that the gossip site’s staffers had joked about whether “his penis was wearing a doo-rag”.
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Hogan says he didn’t know he was being videoed.
