Hulk Hogan has been awarded $115 million in damages against a gossip website who published a part of his sex tape. Following the former professional wrestler's win over the sex tape lawsuit, the case raises concerns about the privacy issues in the internet age.
According to Business Insider, Florida jury has ordered Gawker Media to pay Hulk Hogan a $115 million as compensation for publishing a sex tape featuring the pro-wrestler and his former best friend, Bubba the Love Sponge's young wife in 2012. The jury found the website violated Hogan's privacy through uploading a one minute and 41 second video clip of him on the internet with commentary.
Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea claimed they were secretly recorded, Hollywood Reporter cited. The jury also ruled that the Gawker founder Nick Denton and former editor A.J. Daulerio were held accountable on the said case. The award includes $55 million in economic injuries plus $60 million for emotional injuries, as well as potential punitive damages.
A University of Miami professor, Mary Anne Franks said, the verdict of the case has raise privacy issue with today's internet age. Franks explained, "People are thinking a little bit more about the concept of what is newsworthy, because what's changed is the concept of who a public figure is," Los Angeles Times quoted.
Howard Weitzman, an attorney from Santa Monica, who had represented celebrity clients such as Justin Bieber's nude photo case, said that Hogan's case strongly projects an important message. "I believe there is a growing dislike of reckless conduct in this age of digital distribution. She added, such distributors need to act "decent and responsible manner".
Franks added the main point of the cases such as Hogans' is that not only celebrities are affected by the privacy issues, even private citizens as well. "It's sexually explicit material distributed without consent." She added the appropriate term for it is called nonconsensual pornography.
