MEDIA MATTERS

Gawker Wins Suit Over Hulk’s Sex Tape

FBI to turn over evidence on Hulk Hogan’s sex tape.

A federal judge in Florida ordered the FBI and the Executive Office of United States Attorneys (EOUSA) to give Gawker access to evidence relating to an investigation into Hulk Hogan’s sex tape on Wednesday. The pro wrestler, also known as Terry Bollea, sued the website in 2012 for publishing “highlights” of a sex tape featuring himself and Heather Clem. The FBI launched a criminal investigation of a separate attempted sale of the sex tape, and in the process obtained evidence, which Gawker filed a FOIA request for in 2013. The FBI denied the request, and Gawker asked Hogan and Clem to sign authorization waivers to their privacy in order to obtain the evidence for its legal defense. The pair refused, and the court ordered Hogan and Clem to sign the waivers. Gawker filed an additional request in 2014 and sued both the FBI and EOUSA in federal court after the two agencies denied the request.