Jury selection has been completed in the civil trial between pro wrestler Hulk Hogan and the celebrity gossip web site Gawker. Six jurors and three alternates will decide whether or not Hogan -- whose real name is Terry Bollea -- gets the $100 million he is suing for after Gawker published a video of him having sex with the wife of a Tampa radio personality.
"We are exceptionally happy with the quality of people that showed up for the jury selection process. Not only were they engaged, they were honest and competent. We are lucky to have had so many dedicated individuals from which to choose," Hogan's lawyer David Houston told FOX411. "We believe we have a fantastic jury. They all seem to recognize the importance of the rights of privacy and boundaries as it concerns issues surrounding the First Amendment."
Gawker Media, which owns Gawker and several other websites, said in a statement: “We are defending the First Amendment against Hulk Hogan’s effort to create a world where celebrities can promote themselves around any topic, in this case sex, and then veto how the media covers their lives. This tape shows Hulk Hogan having sex with his best friend’s wife, and in fact the tape was made by his best friend Bubba who also appears in the video. Hulk Hogan bragged about his sex life for years, denied this particular sexual encounter and now thinks his own choices are worth $100 million somehow."
The Tampa Bay Times reports attorneys will likely face several challenges, from Hogan's celebrity status to jurors' perceptions of sex. The jury will determine if Gawker violated Hogan's right to privacy when it published the video of the former professional wrestler having sex with his best friend's wife. Hogan's attorneys say it garnered 7 million views.
Reference source:foxnews
Comments
Post a Comment