Much Worse Than Anyone Ever Expected': Jury Awards Hulk Hogan $115 Million in Gawker Sex Tape Trial

A Florida jury awarded wrestling star Hulk Hogan $115 million in damages in the Gawker sex tape trial, holding the website responsible for violating his privacy.

Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, broke down in tears after the verdict was read, according to reporters at the scene.

The wrestler filed a lawsuit against Gawker after it posted a 90-second clip of him having sex with his friend's wife. Hogan refused to settle outside of court.

Gawker had sought to argue during the trial that Hogan was a public figure — one that had been very open about his sex life in the past.

John Pendygraft-Pool/Getty Images

The jury was not moved and concluded that Gawker caused severe emotional distress and violated the wrestler's privacy when it published the video.

Gawker was expected to appeal the decision.

Denton said in a statement following the decision that he's confident about their chances in an appeal court.

"Given key evidence and the most important witness were both improperly withheld form this jury, we all knew the appeals court will need to resolve the case," founder Nick Denton said in a statement. "I want to thank our lawyers for their outstanding work and am confident that we would have prevailed at trial if we had been allowed to present the full case to the jury. That's why we feel very positive about the appeal that we have already begun preparing, as we expect to win this case ultimately."

Nevertheless, a source told CNN media reporter Brian Stelter that the reaction inside Gawker was not good.

The New York Times reported last year that individuals within Gawker viewed the case in apocalyptic terms that could jeopardize the website's future.

“It’s a $100 million lawsuit,” Denton told the Times. “We don’t keep $100 million in the bank, no.”

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