Hulk Hogan has been awarded a total of $140 million in damages stemming from a lawsuit against Gawker.
Hogan, who was awarded $115 million in damages on Friday, was awarded another $25 million in punitive damages on Monday, relating to Gawker’s publication of sex-tape footage featuring Hogan.
Monday’s punitive damages amounted to $15 million from Gawker, and $10 million from its founder, Nick Denton. Former Gawker editor in chief A.J. Daulerio was ordered to pay $100,000.
Hogan had sought $100 million in his lawsuit.
On Friday, the jury determined that Hogan (real name: Terry Bollea) had suffered emotional distress from the 2012 publication of sex-tape footage featuring the wrestler, and also had suffered an invasion of his privacy.
Gawker published snippets of a sex tape featuring Hogan and the then-wife of his friend, Todd “Bubba the Love Sponge” Clem. Hogan had maintained that he was unaware the encounter was being recorded.
During the trial, Hogan testified that the publication of the sex tape has “turned my world upside-down,” adding, “I was completely humiliated.”
Denton has said that Gawker intends to appeal the verdict.
In closing arguments Friday, Hogan’s attorney, Kenneth Turkel, blasted Gawker for not contacting Hogan before publishing the video.
“He wasn’t even called before this was put up,” Turkel said, adding, “they didn’t have the common decency to call one person that was involved with it before they posted this story.”
During his closing argument, Turkel said, “all that was ever asked was that Gawker be decent” adding, “the place is run by a guy who literally believes we don’t have privacy rights,” repeatedly tearing into Denton’s stance on privacy.