In 2012 the website Gawker posted a sex tape of pro wrestler Hulk Hogan without his permission. Hogan sued Gawker in a case that centered on Gawker's First Amendment arguments. In March 2016 a Florida state court jury found in favor of Hogan and awarded him $140 million in damages. Gawker wanted to appeal but the past few years of financial pressures had taken its toll. By July 2016, Gawker declared bankruptcy and in November 2016 the website reached a settlement and agreed to pay Hogan $31 million. (Univision eventually bought Gawker.)

More about the case at these readings:

• The basic facts of the case are in this Hollywood Reporter article at https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/nick-denton-announces-gawker-settlement-hulk-hogan-943414
• Then for a more detailed discussion of the case's First Amendment implications (that was written before the final case settlement) see this Constitution Daily article at https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/when-privacy-and-the-press-collide
• a Gawker executive's rationale for not taking down the sex tape video at https://web.archive.org/web/20130428130143/http://gawker.com/a-judge-told-us-to-take-down-our-hulk-hogan-sex-tape-po-481328088
• Finally, THE Hulk Hogan's reasons for wanting to keep the tape private at https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/hulk-hogan-gawker-suit-wrestler-claims-even-his-character-was-embarrassed-by-sex-tape-a6918786.html
• After reading the information about the lawsuit over the Hulk Hogan sex tape, which side do you believe should have prevailed and why?