Hulk Hogan has launched another lawsuit against Gawker, who he successfully sued for $140 million earlier this year for releasing his sex tape. The New York Post says Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, is suing the website again, this time for leaking the transcripts of his racially-motivated rant that got him fired by WWE. The suit says that his “income was cut off, his legacy in entertainment was severely damaged (if not completely destroyed), and his global brand was forever tarnished.” Gawker founder Nick Denton allegedly taunted Hogan before the transcripts leaked, saying Hogan’s “real secrets” would come out.
The lawsuit alleges that Gawker and radio host Mike “Cowhead” Calta were behind leaking the transcripts, and that Gawker had threatened to release them months before they leaked. Calta is a rival of Bubba the Love Sponge, who filmed the sex tape between his ex-wife and Hogan.
Gawker’s stance on the new lawsuit is that Hogan is “abusing the court system” for PR purposes, and that he needs to blame himself for WWE firing him. Below is a statement from Gawker about the case:
New @Gawker statement on the new #HulkvsGawk et al lawsuit: pic.twitter.com/897jTodpp7
— David Bixenspan (@davidbix) May 2, 2016
Hogan’s lawsuit is for unspecified damages, and there’s no word on how much he expects to get. His lawyer could bring up lost earnings from WWE merchandise and WrestleMania 32. Gawker is working on appealing the original $140 million verdict from March.
