Closing arguments were delivered today in the Hulk Hogan vs Gawker trial, wrapping up a two week court case before the jury takes over for deliberations.
Hogan’s attorney Ken Turkel had the important task to convince the jury that Gawker was wrong and Hogan deserves the pinfall victory in this trial while Gawker attorney Michael Sullivan had an equal important job, convincing the jury that Gawker did nothing wrong in its report.
Turkel lambasted Gawker’s employees who were revealed the make fun of Hogan in their campfire chats and said that this video is what defines the company. He told the jury that Gawker is “indecent” and proud of it. He rips into Gawker founder Nick Denton and quotes something from what Denton said back in 2009 saying that Gawker doesn’t seek to do good and they may “inadvertently commit journalism” but at the end of the day it’s not the “institutional intention.”
He also reads a quote from 2013 where Denton said that the invasion of privacy of certain people has “incredibly positive effects on society.” Turkel explains how Denton lives in New York, sits behind a computer and “plays God” with other people’s lives. He also said that Denton is a “porn king” having owned Fleshbot which he eventually sold.
Turkel told jurors that Hogan had a lot of emotional distress and while the former champ did not cry on the stand, he was still beat down. He emphasized to evaluate the emotional toll that this whole sex tape had on Hogan’s life.
The sum Hogan is asking for is $50,378,342 in compensatory damages with punitive damages to follow. “Let’s get to the punitive stage and let’s get some justice done here,” Turkel said, finishing his closing arguments. It took Turkel around 90 minutes to deliver the statements.
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