#Gawker v hogan trial
#Gawker v hogan free

It may seem like an open-and-shut instance: no single citizen ought to interfere with institutions of the press to such a degree. Lawrence’s adaptation of “Conspiracy” could then come in to provide a more nuanced take on the complexities of the case itself. Gawker - which includes Bollea’s lack of accountability over his shocking public persona as well as of Thiel’s insidious involvement in masterminding Gawker’s downfall - remains unresolved. Any discussion of the significance of Bollea v.

#Gawker v hogan free

The case figures as part of a wider narrative that looks into the troubling evolution of the free press in an era of “fake news.” However, the film utilizes various examples to draw its conclusions. It is much less focused in its subject matter, though, and only briefly touches on the Hogan and Gawker story. Knappenberger’s politically motivated films tread similar topics surrounding free speech, and Nobody Speak is no different. Gawker has already been documented in the Netflix documentary Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press (pictured above), which hails from famed director Brian Knappenberger ( We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists and The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz). Thiel was personally motivated to target Gawker due to the fact that the news outlet publicly outed him as gay in 2007.īollea v. In fact, Thiel admitted to spending $10 million in legal expenses in various lawsuits against Gawker, citing invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Where Holiday’s “Conspiracy” comes in, and what is likely to be the prime interest for Lawrence’s film, involves PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, who was later revealed to have contributed considerable financial backing to Bollea’s case. Eventually, Bollea prevailed in the case and was awarded a total of $140 million in damages. The case for Gawker was further sullied by a tape of Daulerio’s deposition, in which he apparently “joked” that the only non-newsworthy celebrity sex tape would have been child pornography. Bollea counterargued that only his public persona as Hulk Hogan could be held accountable for his outrageous attitude while the private citizen Terry Bollea could not. Gawker argued that Bollea consistently discussed his sex life in a very public way, making his sex tape newsworthy.

#Gawker v hogan trial

Bollea subsequently sued Gawker for copyright infringement in the federal court, although the motion was denied by the judge on grounds of potential fair use given the perceived interchangeability of Bollea’s private and public personas.īollea then sued Gawker in Florida state court and the trial lasted two weeks. The media outlet published a two-minute extract of the video on October 4, 2012, at the behest of editor A.J. The facts of the Hogan and Gawker debacle are these: more than 10 years ago, Hulk Hogan - real name Terry Bollea - made a sex tape, which Gawker got a hold of. Based on Ryan Holiday’s book “ Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue,” the film has also tapped the efforts of The Big Short screenwriter Charles Randolph in what could be a dream team for biographical dramas. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Francis Lawrence - director of most of The Hunger Games films and this year’s Red Sparrow - will helm a film about Hogan vs. This is the kind of bawdy tale that Hollywood would easily lap up, and it unabashedly has. However, the fallout from the case unexpectedly kickstarted a wider conversation about both the responsibilities of the press and what happens when private citizens - specifically billionaire business moguls - involve themselves in changing the narrative about free speech. Two years later, the case remains one of the most uncomfortably essential stories about journalism and accountability.Īn inherent salaciousness permeated the entire ordeal, as that was the first dispute over a celebrity sex tape to go to trial. In 2016, wrestler Hulk Hogan successfully sued Gawker Media for posting portions of a sex tape that he appeared in on their tabloid website. This has the potential to be a vital if complicated film about journalism in an era of widespread accountability.