Hulk Hogan, Cox Radio Reach Settlement Over Sex Tape Lawsuit
Hulk Hogan has reached a settlement with Cox Radio, ending a lawsuit in which the former wrestler accused a radio host working for the company of leaking a sex tape to Gawker in 2012.
Spectrum News Tampa affiliate Bay News 9 reports a confidential settlement was filed with the court on Thursday. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. A trial had been set to start in January 2021.
The lawsuit, which sought $110 million in damages, listed DJs Mike Calta and Matt Loyd among the defendants and claimed that Calta leaked the tape to Gawker as part of a feud with fellow Cox Radio host Bubba Clem, who left the station in 2014. The tape depicted Hogan having sex with Clem’s then-wife and led to a lawsuit against Gawker that Hogan won in 2016, forcing Gawker into bankruptcy.
Also Read: Gawker Media to Sell Flagship Site, Hulk Hogan to Receive 45 Percent of Proceeds
Loyd reportedly admitted to Tampa police that he stole DVDs from Clem’s studio and leaked copies to other media outlets while working for Calta. As part of the settlement, Loyd and his wife signed a permanent injunction stating they would not leak or possess the sex tape.
The sex tape was one of a series of leaks that derailed Hogan’s career. In 2015, the National Enquirer released a story with audio footage of Hogan using racial slurs that led to WWE severing ties with him. Hogan was reinstated by the wrestling promotion three years later, returning to television to give a speech honoring late longtime WWE interviewer Gene Okerlund.
Read original story Hulk Hogan, Cox Radio Reach Settlement Over Sex Tape Lawsuit At TheWrap
