Overview

• Hogan’s death at 71 prompted a wave of tributes, including President Trump’s homage to the wrestling icon’s enduring cultural influence.
• In 2012 Gawker published nine seconds of Hogan’s private sex tape, triggering his $100 million invasion-of-privacy lawsuit in Florida.
• A 2016 jury awarded Hogan roughly $140 million in damages (later settled at $31 million), forcing Gawker Media into bankruptcy and sale to Univision.
• Billionaire Peter Thiel secretly funded Hogan’s lawsuit as part of a campaign against Gawker, highlighting how wealth can influence media litigation.
• Scholars say the verdict prompted media organizations to reassess publication practices and emboldened public figures to pursue high-stakes defamation and privacy suits, including actions by President Trump.