The trial between Hulk Hogan and the website Gawker officially started, with the former wrestler testifying that he was completely humiliated with the sex tape that leaked online.

Hogan Shocked with the Leaked Tape

Hogan testified on March 7, 2016, stating that he first thought it was a joke when his best friend, radio personality Bubba “The Love Sponge” Clem, told Hogan via a phone call that his wife wanted to have sex with him. A sexual encounter between Heather Clem and Hogan eventually happened, which was recorded and published on the Internet.

According to Hogan, the couple was in an open marriage and repeatedly brought up the possibility. Hogan continued that when he and Heather later on had sexual intercourse, Bubba gave Hogan a condom. Hogan said that he felt something was wrong and asked if they were being taped, but Bubba denied it.

According to sources, Clem was obsessed with Hogan. She and her ex-husband Bubba prepared the camera to film the incident so she could repeatedly watch it. Insiders also stated that Clem is a voyeur and tried various ways to have sex with Hogan. She allegedly took advantage of Bubba’s friendship with the wrestling star. At the end of the TMZ footage, Bubba could be heard telling Heather that if ever they wanted to retire, all they needed to do was to use the footage.

“It was so weird and so crazy, my gut was telling me that this was off, this was wrong. From the feeling that I had, I said, ‘Bubba you’re not filming this are you?’… he lashed into me," Hogan said.

Ending His Friendship with Bubba

Hogan described that Bubba was a close friend of his. They trained together on a daily basis and did everything together. Bubba helped Hogan’s daughter with her music and his son with his projects. Bubba was with Hogan when his father died. Hogan said that he fully believed that Bubba was his best friend.

Reportedly, Hogan found out about his sex tape with Heather when TMZ contacted him about the still images of the incident. He said that he was completely humiliated when the video became public, and suspected that Bubba may have been involved with the tape leaking. As a result, he ended his friendship with Bubba.

In 2012, Gawker released a nine-second footage of Hogan and Heather having sex, which reportedly raked in seven million views. The website eventually deleted it following a court order. Hogan sued the website and asked for $100 million in compensation. More updates about the trial are expected soon.

Related