GAWKER IS
CURRENTLY FACING AT LEAST FIVE LAWSUITS, INCLUDING ONE $100
MILLION LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST THEM BY HULK HOGAN.
THEY HAD LEAKED A SEXY VIDEO OF HULK HOGAN AND HIS BEST FRIEND'S
WIFE HAVING SEX, AND OF COURSE THAT DID NOT PLAY OUT TOO WELL
FOR HULK, BUT IT IS NOT PLAYING
OUT TOO WELL FOR GAWKER EITHER.
THEY ARE SO CONCERNED ABOUT GOING UNDER AS A RESULT OF
POSSIBLY LOSING THIS MASSIVE LAWSUIT THAT THEY HAVE NOW
FOUND AN INVESTOR TO TAKE A MINORITY STAKE IN THE COMPANY.
IT IS COLUMBUS NOVA TECH PARTNERS.
TO ADD ANOTHER WRINKLE TO THE STORY, THEY ARE FACING AN
ADDITIONAL $10 MILLION LAWSUIT
FROM A FREELANCE JOURNALIST BY THE NAME OF ASHLEY TERRILL.
ACCORDING TO HER LAWSUIT, THEY HAD WORKED TOGETHER AND THEY HAD
PROMISED CONFIDENTIALITY FOR THE JOURNALIST, BUT THEY RENEGED ON
THEIR AGREEMENT AND OUTER AS THE SOURCE FOR
A STORY.
SHE IS SEEKING AN AWARD OF NO LESS THAN $10 MILLION IN DAMAGES
IN A JURY TRIAL ACCORDING TO HER
LAWSUIT.
THE NEW LAWSUIT CLAIMS THAT GAWKER PUBLISHED A FALSE AND
HIGHLY DEFAMATORY HIT PIECE ABOUT HER THAT HARMED HER
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL REPUTATION ñ NAMELY A NOVEMBER
23, 2015 ARTICLE DETAILING HER RELATED EFFORTS TO GATHER DIRT
ON A FORMER TOP EXECUTIVE OF
TINDER.
IF YOU REMEMBER, LAST YEAR THERE WAS A HUGE TINDER
CONTROVERSY INVOLVING ITS IMPACT IS.
ñ EXECUTIVES.
A FORMER EXECUTIVE HAD CLAIMED SHE WAS BEING SEXUALLY HARASSED
BY ANOTHER EXECUTIVE THAT SHE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH.
THEY ENDED UP SELLING THAT CASE OUT OF COURT, BUT THE REASON WHY
TERRILL GOT INVOLVED IN THIS CASE IS BECAUSE SHE HAD SOME
SORT OF AUDIO RECORDING OR
INTERVIEW WITH WHITNEY WOLF, WHERE SHE SAYS THERE WERE SOME
INCONSISTENCIES IN HER TESTIMONY.
SHE WANTED TO WRITE AN EXPOS…
OR SOME KIND OF PEACE ABOUT THAT.
SHE WAS WORKING WITH GAWKER, AND SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN
ANONYMOUS SOURCE, BUT THEY
OUTED HER.
IT IS UNCLEAR IF SHE WILL GET WHAT SHE WANTS OF THIS
LAWSUIT, NEARLY $10 MILLION.
SHE NAMED SAM BIDDLE, THE WRITER OF THE PEACE, PERSONALLY.
THIS REMINDS ME OF THE SABRINA BRILEY CASE IN ROLLING
STONE, WHERE SHE WAS NAMED IN A LIBEL SUIT.
YOU HAVE TO GET THIS STUFF RIGHT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME
I THINK SHE HAS A CASE.
THEY HAVE A CASE IF A PROMISED HER ñ SHE CERTAINLY HAS
A CASE IS A PROMISED HER ANONYMITY AND THEY RENEGED ON
THAT.
SHE ALSO CLAIMED THAT WOLF HAD HIRED OPERATIVES TO HACK
INTO HER EMAIL AND FOLLOW HER, SO IT IS NOT AS IF THERE WASN'T
CONSEQUENCES SUFFERED FOR EXPOSING HER.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE WOLF STORY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TRUTH IS.
THEY SETTLED OUT OF COURT FOR MORE THAN $1 MILLION, BUT THAT
DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT
HER ACCUSATIONS AGAINST OTHER EXECUTIVES WERE NECESSARILY
TRUE, IT MIGHT MEAN THAT THEY JUST DID NOT WANT TO GO
THROUGH THIS BATTLE IN COURT.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT GAWKER IS FACING A NUMBER OF LAWSUITS.
THEY HAVE DONE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT I HAVE
PERSONALLY FOUND QUESTIONABLE, LIKE PUBLISHING ARTICLES
ABOUT THE INTIMATE, PERSONAL DETAILS OF OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES.
IT IS NOT NEWSWORTHY, IT IS NOT IMPORTANT TO US, IT IS JUST
SMUT.
THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT THEY DON'T EVER DO INTERESTING
WORK, THEY DIDN'T BE CAREFUL NOT TO BREAK THE LAW AND DO
UNETHICAL THINGS WHEN THEY ARE REPORTING WHAT THEY CONSIDER TO
BE THE NEWS.