hulk hogan takes on "gawker" over a leaked sex tape.he plaintiff rests its case in the $100 million courtroom drama. the star witness having a tough week. >> it started off like that. >> where does hulk mania end and privacy begin? >>> first the "nightline 5." >> for the best deals get to lumber liquidators spring flooring sale. all laminate is 10% to 20% off. popular styles from 39 cents. up to $2 a square foot off three-quarter inch solid prefinished hardwood and engineered hardwood. 20% off wood look tile. all in-stock vinyl plank is on sale. deals for bamboo and 18 months special financing. the best prices of the season won't last. lumber liquidators today, it's worth the trip. >> n >>> good evening. thank you for join us. tonight a chaotic scene and the latest flash pint of the donald trump campaign to win the white house. a concern for safety trumped trump's campaigning in chicago forcing the gop front run tore call off his campaign rally. what the tough-talking billionaire is saying wabout it. here's abc's david wright. >> report

rs later a tape of that night is posted by gawker. hogan says he didn't even believe his friend clem was in on this either until later that day. a when they confirmed that bubba was on the tape and bubba went up and turned the camera off and bubba told heather that, this is for our retirement, heather. i just started violently>> he later settled a lawsuit with clem, who apologized for stating that hogan knew he was being taped. this one saying gawker, by tape, violated his privacy. >> they made a conscious decision to expose terry bolea naked and and having private conversations in a private bedroom. >> i think it's a very hard argument to make to say, i'm entitled to my privacy when i terry bolea. as opposed to hulk hogan. >> reporter: but now his private life, for better or worse, back in the limelight as his legal team rests its case.you feel mentally after this week? >> toughest workout i've ever had. >> reporter: and it's not over yet. the battle continues next week as case. for "nightline," i'm linsey january sister in st. peter

it was punishing gawker, the folks involved, gawker, mr. denton, a.j. doing the same thing. so in a multibillion dollar industry, it would not make that kind of an impact to deter. a lot of things came into our evaluation on all three phases of the damages but quite frankly it was very clear we had to make an example to others to deter. >> kevin, i'm going to be interviewing nick denton right after you. if you had the opportunity to speak with him personally, what would you tell him? >> after what i have seen and what we have seen as a group, put yourself in his shoes and don't try to further yourself and hide behind the first amendment to further your goals. but, again, i still think, as i have said before in one of the other interviews, didn't seem to me like he had a heart or a soul. that certainly didn't come across the way the people that he hired, the way he trained them, the environment that he fostered at gawker. and -- >> i think quite frankly, bring back ethics and morals in journalism when making decisions about something like this out that i

. >>> up next, hulk hogan's $100 million legal battle with gawker heats up. and a look back at the life of nancy reagan as she's laid to rest today. i use what's already inside me to reach my goals. so i liked when my doctor told me i may reach my blood sugar and a1c goals by activating what's within me. trulicity is not ihsulin. it helps activate my body to do what it's supposed to do release its own insulin. trulicity responds when my blood sugar rises. i take it once a week, and it works 24/7. it comes in an easy-to-use pen and i may even lose a little weight. trulicity is a once-weekly injectable prescription medicine to improve blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. it should be used along with diet and exercise. trulicity is not recommended as the first medicine to treat diabetes and should not be used by people with severe stomomh or intestinal problems, or people with type i diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. trulicity is not insulin and hanot been studied with long-acting insulin. do not take trulicity if you or anyone in your family has had med

and the promise to help hulk hogan in his case against gawker. i think it puts a lot of things in context. >> reporter: denton says he believes hogan's lawsuit was an attempt to suppress another recording, one of hogan using racist language directed towards his daughter's boyfriend at the time. >> he had complained using pretty brutal language about the black man that his daughter was dating. >> reporter: the consequences of that tape were devastating for hogan. the wwe fired him after it history. hogan hopes this verdict can help propel him back into the ring, telling tmz he would jump at the chance. >> i'd love to hit vince mcmahon in the nose! >> reporter: hogan has not been reinstated by wwe and with that appeal still looming, he may never see a cent from gawker. never about the money. >> my original intention was to do what was right. all i pray is that they change and become actually journalists and legitimate journalists. >> reporter: ironic as it might seem that responsibility is something denton says he takes seriously. >> it was one of

hulk hogan takes on "gawker" over a leaked sex tape. the plaintiff rests its case in the $100 million courtroom drama. the star witness having a tough week. >> it started off like that. >> where does hulk mania end and privacy begin? >>> first the "nightline 5." >> for the best deals get to lumber liquidators spring flooring sale. all laminate is 10% to 20% off. popular styles from 39 cents. up to $2 a square foot off three-quarter inch solid prefinished hardwood and engineered hardwood. all in-stock vinyl plank is on special financing. the best prices of the season won't last. lumber liquidators today, it's worth the trip. >> number one inhe trip. >> number attle of burgers... ...jack made a declaration of delicious with the doublejack combo. he formed a perfect union between 100% beef, cheese, andmouth. he took a stand for hot and salty fries. and america ate it up. true story. get the new double jackcombo for just $4.99 'cause on march 30th,this deal is history. this deal is histo >>> good evening. thank you for join us. tonight a ch

gawker llc, $115 million. $10 million, [indiscernible]. the 21st day of march. >> thank you very much. >> it's not certain. >> no your honor. >> thank you. >> ladies and gentlemen, much. it has been a long time that you have paid attention to it and considered all the facts. so with that, we're grateful for your attention and the [indiscernible]. to make difficult decisions so we're grateful for you and for the time and consequences you have made. about a unique privilege -- [indiscernible]. and it's up to you that we have a unique privilege to maintain that privacy. >> you're listening to the judge advising the jury after the jury just issued a verdict in the terry, hulk hogan case. punitive damages issued in this our jeff paterson has been covering this case from the outside the courthouse. jeff, another big decision in this case. >>reporter: good evening, jen. the whole point of the punitive session was to send a message to others, that's according to the jury instructions to consider others not to make this mistake. $15 million, $10 mi

either way, gawker plans to appeal. erin moriarty spoke to gawker's founder about the case. nick denton is not a household name. denton founder of gawker media, a collection of seven online blogs that feed on sensational stories. often having to do with celebrities. >> i think it is a good name. a famous name. >> reporter: but it means to stare stupidly. >> it means to stare. stupidly might be in one of the definitions. we have a little sense of humor about what we do. >> reporter: with the internet largely unregulated denton and his crew have been able to gawk at just about anything. until one of their celebrity targets took them on in a saint petersberg, florida, courtroom. >> i was completely humiliated. >> terry bollea seen here when he was still wrestling professionally under the name hulk hogan. >> hulk hogan riding the motorcycle! sued denton and gawker for invasion of privacy. he says his life has not been the same since 2012 when gawker featuring bollea. >> it turned my world upside down. >> reporter: there is a lot at stake. bollea sued for $100 million. denton's e

sarah, gawker claims their first amendment rights protect them in

gawker's former editor in chief a.j. delario seemed to contradict parts of gawker's defense, that the tape was news worthy and their decision to >> the fact that mr. bollea was taped having sex with his best friend's wife wasn't the news hook for your piece, was it? >> no, not necessarily. >> you put it in the public because you believed it was true and it was interesting, right? >> yes. >> and it didn't really matter whether or not it was a more bid and sensational prying and people's lives were at stake, that didn't matter to you, did it? >> no. >> reporter: the judge asking denton to respond to this final question from the jury. >> if the video was gratuitous would you still believe that it's covered under the first amendment? >> no, i wouldn't. >> nick saying that anything gratuitous isn't covered the by the first amendment, i think everyone understands our position. actually sounded like they were on our team. >> reporter: hogan getting caught in some alleged discrepancies too. >> heather wants to have sex with you,

stevens and other jurors came down hard on gawker. here's how the money breaks down: the jurors say gawker's liable for $15 million dollars in punitive damages. owner nick denton -- $10 million. and former editor aj daulerio -- $100,000. that's on top of the 115-million they awarded hogan friday. in all: more than 140-million dollars. -- 24237-48 terry bollea hulk hogan "i feel great i am really happy about everything that's happened and i think we made history today because i think we protected a lot of people from maybe going through what i went through." -- but gawker says it's not over . they may have lost the trial, but they'll win the -- 2:41:04-11 nick denton/ gawker media owner - "we have heard the jury's decision and we look forward to going to the appeals court where the law will be followed." -- rdesk gawker says it plans to appeal as soon as possible, but if the damages are upheld - this could be the end of the tabloid site. it's valued at about 83 million dollars. in the newsroom, courtney robinson, 10news wtsp. since sea

hulk hogan plaintiff versus gawker, gawker media. sr-rd we the jury determine the plaintiff posting a video and reasonable person would find offensive. yes. did the plaintiff proof the video was not a matter of public concern. yes. and participate in posting the video. yes. did they prove they wrongfully intruded with expectation of privacy. >> yes. >> did the plaintiff prove it was posted in a manner as to cause men tall suffering to a person of ordinary sensibilities. yes. did the plaintiff prove the of definites used the name or like ness for a commercial purpose. yes. kitted plaintiff prove he did not ought rise use of his name or likeness. yes. was extreme and jug rate youth ordinary sensibilities. >> yes. >> did the plaintiff prove they intended to cause him distress or acted with disregard and causing severe depress? >> yes did the plaintiff prove that posting caused him emotional distress, yes. did the plaintiff use video, yes. did the plaintiff prove he had a reasonable expectation of privacy in the bedroom where it was reco

saying gawker, by publishing the tape, violated his privacy. decision to expose terry bollea naked and gainengaged in sex and having private conversations in a private bedroom. >> reporter: hogan's lawyers portraying gawker's ceo nick denton, seen here in an nbc interview, as being willing to cross the line. >> is there any subject that's off limits? >> i'm asked that question sometimes and i try to -- i don't like to define the answer. >> they made a conscious decision to expose him in that state. >> reporter: gawker argued today the existence of the tape was already a story in the news. >> hulk hogan is suing to stop a conversation that he largely started and was very much a part of for years. >> reporter: and on cross examination, hogan taking hits. lawyers for the defense pointing out inconsistencies in his past statements. >> were you being honest there, program? >> no, i did not. >> okay. you just told folks that? right? >> pretty much i was on auto pilot. i had information from my attorney. and that was just set. i mean, i haven't seen t

at stake, says gawker, could be serious first amendment issues. it all began while hogan was shooting his reality show "hogan knows best." he says he and his wife linda began to drift apart. but he had a friend who he says always had his back. >> he was holding my father as my father passed away. there was never any question of, you know, who he was or what he meant to me. klem, a popular shock jock in florida known to his fans as the love sponge. now hogan says his best friend proposed an unusual method to make him forget his troubles. >> heather wants to have sex with you, heather wants to see the size of your penis. it started out like that. wife. >> what did klem ask you and do you recall what your answer was? >> i said i would. >> reporter: hogan initially laughed it off. >> i knew they had an open marriage because he talked about it on the radio. i thought with me it was so many times they talked about it, it kind of turned into a joke. >> reporter: at his lowest point he says he called his friend klem. >> she basically said, i'm filing for

of course, hogan is suing the website gawker in this civil trial. hogan whose real name is terry gene bollea is suing the website for $100 million. now following opening statements yesterday, hogan was stand. he told the court that he had a friendship with the radio shock heather. she is the woman seen in the stay with hogan. the former prowrestler testified that he was aware that they had a security camera inside the home but he did not know he was being recorded. his image. >> i was embarrassed what it did to me as a person, but it character. hulk hogan was embarrassed. >> reporter: now attorneys for the website gawker claim that they have the right the to is a well-known public figure. once again, hogan will be cross- examined by attorneys for gawker when the trial resumes here in st. petersburg around 9:00 this morning. the trial is expected to last up to three weeks. and you can certainly count on news channel 8 to keep you updated on the very latest developments in this trial as it progresses. >> yeah, a lot of interesting details yesterday, j

. >> does gawker have a strong case for appeal? >> they will argue this is excessive. in a wrongful death case, you get $3 million to $5 million. they will argue this wasn't a case of privacy. they had other evidence not presented in the trial that suggested that hulk hogan knew about this from the start. that he was in on the sex tape. it wasn't something done to him, but something he did. if you can get that in front of the jury, that would change a lot. >> thank you, ari. >>> turning to the weather and potential for the nor'easter on the first day of spring. dylan is on top of it all. if anybody doesn't want this to happen. it is dylan. >> we worked so hard to get this far. it doesn't look like a blockbuster. this is not a storm as it heads out to sea, but we wedged our bets because of the with the american model. you can see no real set storm right now. we will see this intensify off the coast. we have winter weather advisories through the appalachains. i want to point out rhode island. this area will get clipped by the storm a

the jury said that gawker was very air ganrizonir -- aarrogan. they make this okay by using the freedom of speech. but when is the line drawn? there is a code of ethics in journalism and they really like to walk that line very closely. >> i think this will have something of a chilling effect on the rest of the press, not worried that we're all in the business of posting sex tapes. but if you're reporting on a celebrity, online gossip in particular and you think a person might sue and you might get a jury that will award a big verdict, i think it could act as a deterrent. what do you think? >> considering that gawker is unapologetic, there will always be sites that have questionable moral integrity. as long as there is social media and smart phones, i think we will see more cases like hulk hogan in the future. but perhaps the most will think before they type something up. i don't see much changing unfortunately. >> we'll see about that. i do think it will be a deterrent. perhaps i see it. great to see you. >> thank you, howard. >>> after the break

the sensational case of the wrestler versus gawker. will he win his wsuit against the website for posting his sex tape? >>> plus welcome to mariah's world. why the diva hase's invite ing cameras on her upcoming tour. what makes her show different from celebrity reality shows of years past. >>> and stiletto kerri russell and amanda sayfried hand to heel combat. new self-defense. first the "nightline 5." >>> get your penny's worth. with new suits and kids' dress-up. up to half off colorful spring get $10 off a $25 purchase with coupon. that's getting your penny's worth. >>> what's your dog food's first ingredient?t? in purina one true grain free, real chicken is number one. no corn, wheat or soy. dog's whole body health with purina one. >> number one in just 60 evening. just when you thought the courtroom spectacle that is the hulk hogan trial couldn't get the former pro the website gawker for posting a sex tape of him. today in open court the consequence fired back by playing a clip of hoganrecking ball in a thong. here's abc's linzie j

now this past friday, gawker may have hit that limit, hard. a jury awarded the wrestler hulk hoe began $115 million in damages after gawker posted a sex tape that featured him. it's the biggest challenge yet for gawker's founder as erin moriarty will report in our cover story. >> i have a phrase, nothing is ever as good or as bad as it seems at the time. >> british born journalist nick den ton built a bare-bones start up into an internet power house. >> gossip the version of news that the authorities or the celebrities or the officials don't want people to know. >> hulk hoe began sure didn't sex tape and now gawker may have to pay a tripling price. just ahead this "sunday morning," we talk with gawker's nick den ton. >> rocco:singer gwen stefani has been a superstar for years. she'll talk about all of it with our lee cowan for the record. >> she's had a chart topping batched, successful solo career, a clothing line and three young boys. but when her marriage of 13 years blew up in the most public of ways she almost fell apart. >> at that time