Hulk Hogan was "completely humiliated" after a secretly-recorded sex tape was published on a gossip website, a court heard on Monday. The wrestling star is seeking $100million (£70million) in damages from Gawker, who leaked the footage of his romp with the wife of his then-best friend , radio shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge.
The court case will test celebrity privacy rights and freedom of the press in the digital age.
Hogan,
62, said the publication of the one-minute, 41-second clip of his
consensual sex with Heather Clem deeply affected his personal and
professional life.
"I was completely humiliated," he said. "It was even embarrassing as my character. Hulk Hogan was embarrassed."
Addressed
in court by his legal name, Terry Bollea, the wrestler wore a signature
bandana with a black suit and a cross necklace.
He referred to
his Hulk Hogan character as "completely opposite" to his true
personality, which he described as soft-spoken and non-argumentative.
Lawyers for the longtime WWE champion and reality TV
star say he had a right to expect privacy in a private bedroom and the
video was filmed without his knowledge.
Gawker's post was motivated by power and brand promotion, an attorney for the wrestler told jurors during opening statements.
Gawker attorneys, however, questioned what the wrestler knew about cameras in his friend's house.
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