Hulk Hogan Awarded Additional $25 Million in Gawker Sex Tape Trial
A Florida jury has awarded Hulk Hogan $25 million in punitive damages in his case against Gawker Media.
The Associated Press reports that Nick Denton, who founded the website, will have to pay $10 million of that figure, and Gawker, the company, will have to fork over the remaining $15 million. Former editor A.J. Daulerio will also have to pay the wrestler $100,000.
The jury already decided last Friday that Gawker owed Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, $115 million in damages. The website had posted a portion of a sex tape that depicted Hogan sleeping with the wife of his then–best friend.
Michael Sullivan, a lawyer for Gawker, argued that last week’s $115 million judgment was “punishment enough,” according to The AP, and that the figure was already beyond the company’s means. He added that the judgment “could already be debilitating” for his client.
Hogan’s lawyer, Kenneth Turkel, argued Monday that Gawker was worth a reported $83 million. Moreover, he claimed that the company earned $48.7 million in revenues last year and that Denton possessed a total of $121 million and owned a $3.6 million New York City condo. Daulerio has no assets and owes $27,000 in student loans, attorneys said.
Turkel said that adding punitive damages could “send a message” that the website had acted recklessly.
“Your verdict will send a chill down the spine of writers, producers and publishers,” Sullivan said, adding that he took the judgment seriously.
Gawker intends to appeal.