One down, two to go. Hulk Hogan has settled his sex-tape lawsuit against former buddy Bubba the Love Sponge, though suits against the disc jockey’s ex-wife and Gawker Media are still out there.
The lawsuits, filed two weeks ago, revolve around a six-year-old security-camera tape showing the former wrestler (real name Terry Bollea) getting intimate with Heather Clem. She’s since divorced Bubba (born Todd Clem) after marrying him in 2007, with Hogan as best man.
One suit was filed in Florida state court against the Clems; the other was filed in US District Court against Gawker Media.
Bubba had previously accused Hulk of possibly leaking the tape himself. The accusation was made on the radio a couple of weeks ago, the day the lawsuits were filed, when Clem reportedly made it clear that he and his former BFF were no longer friends. But now Bubba’s story has changed.
In an apology letter released on Monday and obtained by TMZ, he said, “It is my belief that Hulk is not involved, and has not ever been involved, in trying to release the video, or exploit it, or otherwise gain from the video’s release in any way.”
The terms of the settlement were otherwise confidential, Hogan’s publicist said Monday. Hogan is also seeking $100 million in damages from Gawker, which posted a one-minute video of scenes excerpted from the tape in early October. That video is still available on the website, despite Hogan’s demand that it be taken down.
