You guys know the drill by now. First I’m going to post the live stream down below, then get into the recapping. Keep in mind, if you’re reading this later and want to see some of the video for yourself, the people who host the stream (Wild About Trial) break up the day into 2 or 3 segments that you can watch after the live portion has ended.
We start day 8 of #hulkvsgawk with a 2015 deposition w/ Elizabeth Traub, Hogan's publicist. She's on hand to watch herself on video.
— Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) March 16, 2016
Gawker attorney asks Hogan's PR rep why she reached out to TMZ, ET regarding lawsuit: "Because I thought they would cover it." #hulkvsgawk
— Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) March 16, 2016
Traub says she wanted press, esp. entertainment writers, to know Hogan was "fighting back." #hulkvsgawk
— Anna Phillips (@annamphillips) March 16, 2016
Horan says he's being paid $400/hr to testify today. It's his first time as an expert witness. #hulkvsgawk
— Anna Phillips (@annamphillips) March 16, 2016
Gawker expert: "It would be very hard to assign an increase in value to just one post"-whereas Hogan expert pegged value at $15m #hulkvsgawk
— Julia Marsh (@juliakmarsh) March 16, 2016
Contrast that with Hogan's expert witness last week, who said Gawker's value went up $15 mill from the sex tape post #hulkvsgawk
— Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) March 16, 2016
https://twitter.com/SmithsH8sTweets/status/710106904429772801
Horan: relying mainly on traffic to value an internet company is outdated, stopped after dot com bust. #hulkvsgawk
— Anna Phillips (@annamphillips) March 16, 2016
This expert in #hulkvsgawk is really stupid. He's spinning so much, he might pass out.
— Mr. Fusion (@itsMrFusion) March 16, 2016
https://twitter.com/SmithsH8sTweets/status/710108358150397952
Horan: "Gawker is a hits driven business" traffic surges, then falls, doesn't continually build #hulkvsgawk
— Anna Phillips (@annamphillips) March 16, 2016
Horan says, at most, Gawker made about $11,000 from the Hogan sex tape post. #hulkvsgawk
— Anna Phillips (@annamphillips) March 16, 2016
https://twitter.com/mariabustillos/status/710118029774987264
https://twitter.com/SmithsH8sTweets/status/710119812131848193
https://twitter.com/SmithsH8sTweets/status/710120832228581376
Gawker's expert responds by saying the email was "casual," not "scientific" and probably can't draw any conclusions from it. #hulkvsgawk
— Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) March 16, 2016
https://twitter.com/SmithsH8sTweets/status/710122303279992832
Hogan's lawyer is doing well in this cross examination. Traffic is important to getting advertisers. Of course it is! #hulkvsgawk
— Livid (@myloserville) March 16, 2016
“…that the Hogan post was, for lack of a better term, stickier…”
PHRASING, MR. BERRY! PHRASING! #hulkvsgawk
— David Bixenspan (@davidbix) March 16, 2016
Juror question: You said Gawker is a spike-driven business, so that means they need to generate those spikes?
Horan: yes#hulkvsgawk— Anna Phillips (@annamphillips) March 16, 2016
Love how engaged #hulkvsgawk jury is – one juror just asked judge for "dialogue" with the witness, judge said there's no procedure for that
— Julia Marsh (@juliakmarsh) March 16, 2016
#hulkvsgawk – Lunch break until 1:30 est.
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) March 16, 2016
#hulkvsgawk I'm now listening to testimony from an "expert" who works for https://t.co/LkpSqaGQ70
I went to Journalism school for this?— Jeff Patterson (@WFLAJeff) March 16, 2016
Next, Gawker's lawyers plan to play the video deposition of Heather Cole, ex-wife of Bubba the Love Sponge Clem #hulkvsgawk
— Anna Phillips (@annamphillips) March 16, 2016
Describe your relationship with Hogan?
Heather Cole: "he was Bubba’s best friend” #hulkvsgawk— Anna Phillips (@annamphillips) March 16, 2016
#hulkvsgawk Heather Clem admits to having sex with other men while marred to @BTLSRadio @WFLA pic.twitter.com/8j5zk2tbcP
— Jeff Patterson (@WFLAJeff) March 16, 2016
Cole says she slept w/ Hogan 3x. “Once at our house…once at Mr. Bollea’s house, once in a hotel room”#hulkvsgawk
— Anna Phillips (@annamphillips) March 16, 2016
Cole, in a very soft, almost scared voice: “I was asked to go to Mr. Bollea’s room by my husband, and I did”#hulkvsgawk
— Anna Phillips (@annamphillips) March 16, 2016
https://twitter.com/SmithsH8sTweets/status/710171781911482368
Cole says Bubba showed her the sex tape. "I was upset," she says. Says she had no idea encounter would be filmed. #hulkvsgawk
— Anna Phillips (@annamphillips) March 16, 2016
Heather Cole (formerly Clem) depo about sex with @HulkHogan is uncomfortable to watch. Voice is soft, scared, almost childlike. #hulkvsgawk
— Brandon Lowrey (@brandonous) March 16, 2016
#hulkvsgawk Heather Clem claims she was upset when she found out she was recorded having sex and Terry Bollea didn't know he was recorded
— Jeff Patterson (@WFLAJeff) March 16, 2016
LIVE: #HulkvsGawk Hogan watches testimony from Heather Cole, ex-wife of Bubba Clem https://t.co/LW0CQNFmEI pic.twitter.com/kkAJUUavme
— True Crime Daily (@CrimeWatchDaily) March 16, 2016
#hulkvsgawk Heather Clem says during divorce mediation with @BTLSRadio she asked for sex video recordings and was told they were destroyed
— Jeff Patterson (@WFLAJeff) March 16, 2016
"So when Bubba comes in at the end and says this recording will pay for retirement, you still didn't know you were being taped? #hulkvsgawk
— Insert Clever Name Here (@ErichRino) March 16, 2016
Heather Clem/Cole recalls Bubba saying "there's no such thing as bad publicity as long as they spell your name right.” #hulkvsgawk
— Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) March 16, 2016
This deposition is uncomfortable for everyone, but obviously most awkward for Hogan. He's avoided watching much of the time. #hulkvsgawk
— Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) March 16, 2016
#hulkvsgawk Heather Clem/Cole says she divorced @BTLSRadio because she wasn't happy @WFLA
— Jeff Patterson (@WFLAJeff) March 16, 2016
Heather Clem/Cole says Hogan was always "respectful, kind." #hulkvsgawk
— Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) March 16, 2016
Hogan testified that Cole was after him for sex, asked him repeatedly. Cole says that didn't happen. #hulkvsgawk
— Anna Phillips (@annamphillips) March 16, 2016
RT @WFLAJeff: #hulkvsgawk Heather Clem says .@BTLSRadio recorded her having sex with other men and she knew about it"
OH BOY!!!!!!
— Mike Calta (@MrMikeCalta) March 16, 2016
Heather’s deposition leaves you with the impression Bubba might be the leak to Gawker. Odd behavior, Calta feud not real, etc. #hulkvsgawk
— David Bixenspan (@davidbix) March 16, 2016
“I don’t believe that he’s a trustworthy person” Cole says of Stephen Diaco, Bubba's then-attorney. He's since been disbarred. #hulkvsgawk
— Anna Phillips (@annamphillips) March 16, 2016
Cole: “After I divorced Mr. Clem, I severed all my ties with pretty much anyone that had anything to do with him.” #hulkvsgawk
— Anna Phillips (@annamphillips) March 16, 2016
Does Hogan like publicity?
Heather Cole: "In my opinion, yes." #hulkvsgawk— Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) March 16, 2016
We're more than an hour into this deposition, which is like a bad car wreck: hard to watch, but can't keep your eyes off #hulkvsgawk
— Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) March 16, 2016
Jury released for the day. They all were quite absorbed in Cole's deposition, though – like all of us – they're looking fatigued #hulkvsgawk
— Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) March 16, 2016
https://twitter.com/mariabustillos/status/710202642719444992
Looks like Hulk Hogan was able to file a motion at the last minute to stop the court from unsealing & releasing court docs. #hulkvsgawk
— Peter Sterne (@petersterne) March 16, 2016
So much for the unsealed docs. 2nd DCA had technical difficulties releasing, and in the meantime, an emergency motion was filed #hulkvsgawk
— Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) March 16, 2016
More from Heather Clem’s Testimony