Last year, Gawker famously shut down after losing a grueling trial that pit them against wrestling icon, Hulk Hogan. It was a bitter courtroom battle that initially began back in 2012, when reporters at Gawker shared and featured a sextape that showed the wrestler having an affair with a woman named Heather Clem, who at the time, was married to radio personality, Bubba the Love Sponge. Hogan was eventually awarded $140 million in damages, while Gawker lost the case, filed for bankruptcy, and formally ended their operation after fourteen years online.
The trial quickly gained media attention all around the world, and sparked much debate regarding free press and the morality of Gawker’s coverage. Things became even more interesting when it was discovered that Hogan’s legal fees were being covered by Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel, whose private sex life was also exposed by the website back in 2009. All in all, it was a tumultuous end to a complicated web of events that fueled an important conversation regarding free press – one that remains incredibly relevant to today’s sociopolitical landscape.
Now, viewers will be able to delve even further into the Hogan chaos with a brand new documentary. Entitled, Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press, the special will cover the trial and its relation to the fight for free speech. The film is directed and executive produced by Brian Knappenberger, and had its premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. You can check out a trailer for the film below, and expect it to hit Netflix on June 23.
