Hulk Hogan sues Bubba the Love Sponge, Gawker over sex tape

Hulk Hogan is getting down to business — legal business — with regard to his recently leaked sex tape. Call it Hulk versus Bubba.

The reality TV star and former pro wrestler has filed lawsuits against onetime best friend Bubba “The Love Sponge” Clem and Clem’s ex-wife Heather as well as Gawker Media, his attorney said Monday afternoon at a press conference in Florida.

Bubba and his ex-wife are accused of illicitly taping Hogan having sex with Heather six years ago, violating his expectation of privacy. Gawker is being pursued for posting on its website an excerpt from a leaked copy of the tape under the headline “Even for a Minute, Watching Hulk Hogan Have Sex in a Canopy Bed is Not Safe For Work but Watch it Anyway,” and then refusing to take down the video after repeated Team Hulk requests that it do so.

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As of Monday afternoon, the tape was still available on the Gawker website.

Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, is seeking $100 million in damages against Gawker in U.S. District Court, and he also wants all copies of the tape given to him to be destroyed.

At the end of the full sex tape, TMZ reported, Bubba appears and says to Heather, “If we ever did want to retire, all we’d have to do is use this footage.” Hulk has said he was at “an all-time low” at the time he had the set-up sex and did not know the act was being taped.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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