Brian Knappenberger Explains How Hulk Hogan Helped Lead the Attack on Free Press

-This is a fascinating documentary
that was about something that happened,
which was this Hulk Hogan Gawker trial...
-Yeah.
-...which basically bankrupted Gawker,
but then the issues in it have sort of become
a little bit more important now maybe even than they were then.
But tell us a little bit about what got you started
on this story. -Yeah, I mean, I was
really, really interested in this case,
this sort of trial between Hulk Hogan and Gawker Media.
I just thought it was interesting by itself.
You know, this was the first time a sex-tape case like this
had ever gone to trial.
-So they had -- They basically put the sex tape online.
-Yeah, so, Hulk Hogan was filmed having sex with the wife --
-The key to a sex tape. -The key to a sex tape.
-With the wife of his then-best friend,
Bubba the Love Sponge... -Right.
-...who is a shock-jock radio deejay in Florida.
So, this tape gets out there.
A lot of people speculate about it.
There's some stills posted I think on --
Maybe on TMZ and some other -- The Dirty or something.
And then eventually Gawker posts
an edited-down version of this tape, along with a post.
And that starts this really lengthy
kind of trial, this battle between them.
-And during the trial, Hulk Hogan made a distinction
between the character of Hulk Hogan
and his actual --
the actual guy, Terry Bollea. -Yeah.
-And because part of what Gawker argued
was that they published this sex tape
because it refuted things that Hulk Hogan had said
about his own sexual prowess. Is that correct?
-Yes, and this was a defense that the Hogan team brought.
It was new to this trial.
They hadn't even mentioned this
in the previous incarnations of this,
where they made a distinction between Hulk Hogan
and the private person, Terry Bollea.
And it was fascinating.
I mean, basically their argument --
They said, "Look, you've talked about this sex tape --
this sex incident many times on Howard Stern's show,
in fact, in very graphic details.
So why is this so private?
You know, you've actually brought this into the public.
You've made it newsworthy yourself."
And he said, "Well, that's different.
That was me as Hulk Hogan bragging about my sex life,
and that's different than me as Terry Bollea."
And they actually asked about his --
I don't know if you can say this -- 10-inch penis.
-Yeah. Once you say "10-inch," they're gonna finish it.
Yeah.
-And so that actually becomes a thing.
And Hulk Hogan on the trial, or Mr. Bollea, says,
"Actually I don't have a 10-inch penis.
Hulk Hogan does.
But me, not so much."
-This is a crazy --
This sounds like just the craziest trial.
And then Hulk Hogan wins this $50-million settlement.
Was it 50? -It's $140 million.
-$140 million. My goodness.
-Yeah, well, I mean, that was the initial verdict.
-And so that bankrupts Gawker.
Now, one of the things that's interesting is, you know,
there are a lot of people that would say
Gawker made some editorial choices
that were sort of beyond what is considered
journalism with dignity.
But ultimately the question is,
do you also have to protect the free speech
or the rights to the free press
when they're doing things that you don't agree with?
Is that the fear of press going forward,
is that Gawker basically was put out of business
by this one decision
and that other people will use this same technique to take down
any website or any news sources that they don't like?
-Yeah. I mean, you're completely right.
It's a complex story, and I think that's one of the reasons
why I personally found it so compelling.
It's not an easy story.
I think I kind of found it interesting
'cause it's difficult in some ways
and it is on the edges of acceptability with speech.
It's a little like
"The People vs. Larry Flynt" kind of territory.
But that dramatic verdict that actually silences Gawker
and then the revelation
that Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel
was actually bankrolling
Hulk Hogan's case the entire time in secret,
that made it a very kind of different story.
It became a story about
how big money can silence critical voices.

Brian Knappenberger Explains How Hulk Hogan Helped Lead the Attack on Free Press

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