The Hulk Hogan vs. Gawker trial began today in St. Petersburg, Florida. The trial follows Hogan’s decision to sue after the controversial regressive-left blogging network posted Hogan’s private sex tape in 2012 without permission.
Hogan, also known as Terry Bollea, claims that the sex tape, featuring him having sexual intercourse with a friend’s wife, was filmed without his knowledge and is currently suing Gawker Media, the publication who leaked the video, for $100 million.
Gawker have defended their article, stating: “Hulk Hogan was more than willing to talk about his sex life – including in two autobiographies, a reality TV series, and Howard Stern’s radio show – until he didn’t like what Gawker had to say. Now he wants $100 million as compensation”
In 2013, Gawker again showed their disregard for law, justice, and ethical journalistic practices after posting the article “A Judge Told Us to Take Down Our Hulk Hogan Sex Tape Post. We Won’t,” in retaliation to the court’s order that the post be removed.
This isn’t the first time that Gawker has been sued, particularly for posting what isn’t theirs to share.
In January 2014, popular film director Quentin Tarantino filed a lawsuit against Gawker Media for linking to the leaked unreleased script of his upcoming movie, The Hateful Eight, under a post titled, “Here Is the Leaked Quentin Tarantino Hateful Eight Script.” Tarantino was furious and attempted to sue the blogging network for an undisclosed sum before withdrawing the lawsuit later on.
“Gawker Media has made a business of predatory journalism, violating people’s rights to make a buck,” stated Tarantino’s lawsuit, and it’s a description the site appears to hold proudly.
In 2009, Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane and his wife Rebecca Gayheart filed a lawsuit against Gawker Media for posting a private video showing the couple in “various states of undress,” and even feminist icon Lena Dunham has claimed that reading Gawker is like “going back to a husband who beat me in the face” after they posted private unreleased and untouched photographs from a magazine shoot featuring Dunham.
Gawker is infamous for their lack of basic journalistic ethics, most recently famously demonstrated (but not limited to) in the GamerGate consumer revolt. Over a year and a half later, the movement is still going strong, but as evident by their defense against the Hogan trial, Gawker is yet to understand the meaning of professional and ethical journalism.
Charlie Nash is a frequent contributor to Breitbart Tech and former editor of the Squid Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter @MrNashington.