Gawker is seeking to bring into court several never-before-seen Hulk Hogan sex tapes as the gossip site battles a lawsuit brought by the former pro wrestling star.
The FBI has confirmed the existence of three video recordings — in addition to the one previously published by the gossip site — showing Hogan “engaged in sexual relations” with a woman who is at the center of the scandal.
Gawker Media, the defendants in Hogan’s suit, believes the tapes are relevant to its defense. The company won a victory last week as a federal judge ordered the FBI to hand over the videos. Gawker Media sought the tapes through a Freedom of Information Act request to the FBI. When the FBI rejected the request, Gawker sued the bureau.
“The FBI’s tapes and documents should help answer a number of questions relevant to Hulk Hogan’s lawsuit — whether there are still more sex tapes out there, who was taping and why and who all knew about it,” Gawker said in a statement. “We always want to get to the bottom of every story, and now we’re a step closer to knowing the full truth here.”
Hogan’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
In a court filing, the FBI detailed the contents of DVDs and audio recordings stemming from its investigation into the attempted sale of the Hogan sex tape. The investigation began after Hogan’s attorney contacted the FBI.
The three DVDs, according to the FBI, apparently show Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, having sex with a woman believed to be Heather Clem. Each DVD also shows a third party who the plaintiffs believe is Bubba the Love Sponge Clem, a shock jock and the ex-husband of Clem.
Hogan and Heather Clem were in the sex tape that Gawker Media obtained from an anonymous source in 2012. Gawker edited the half-hour tape down to a roughly minute-and-a-half long highlights reel and published it in the fall of that year.
A judge eventually ordered Gawker to take down the video, but the commentary that accompanied the salacious footage remains on the site.
Hogan claims that the publication of the footage was a violation of privacy, and he is suing Gawker Media for $100 million in damages. Gawker maintains that Hogan made his sexual exploits a public matter, and that the publication of the video is protected by the First Amendment.
The trial is scheduled to begin on July 6 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
In its court filings, the FBI also described a pair of audio CDSs, which include a “third party speaking” about the Hogan case and an FBI special agent talking to unnamed third parties. The FBI has asked for a 30-day extension to review those audios CDs.
