The controversial documentary about Hulk Hogan reaches an out-of-court settlement and will avoid further trials

The lengthy legal process surrounding the documentary Video Killed The Radio Star, focused on the scandal of Hulk Hogan's sex tape, seems to have come to an end. According to judicial sources and a statement from Woltz Films, the production company and radio host Todd "Bubba the Love Sponge" Clem have reached an agreement with the legal representatives of the late wrestler, led by his son Nick Bollea and lawyer Terry McCoy.

The understanding comes weeks after a federal court in Florida issued a temporary order to halt the distribution of the documentary, accused of including images from the intimate video and infringing on Hulk Hogan's copyright and trademarks. According to the document filed with the court, "the parties have signed a preliminary settlement agreement and are working on the final written terms".

In statements collected by Awful Announcing, a spokesperson for Woltz Films noted that "this agreement allows to close a prolonged legal chapter and ensures that the public can see the film as it was originally conceived". The financial details of the agreement were not disclosed, but it was confirmed that all lawsuits will be withdrawn once the final text is formalized.

Reaching this agreement allows all parties to leave behind the legal process and ensures that the film can be seen in its original form.

The conflict arose when Nick Bollea filed a lawsuit alleging that the film violated the confidentiality agreement signed in 2012 between his father and Clem, in addition to using protected audiovisual material. During the previews, the film's creators removed eight seconds of explicit footage from the video to partially comply with the court order.

Despite these setbacks, the documentary managed to premiere last September in Tampa, with the presence of Brooke Hogan, daughter of the iconic wrestler, before being digitally distributed on platforms such as Apple iTunes, Amazon Prime, and Google Play. The work examines the media impact of the scandal, the trial that led to the bankruptcy of Gawker Media in 2016, and its influence on American popular and political culture.

Hulk Hogan's sex tape

The so-called "Hulk Hogan sex tape" was one of the biggest media scandals of the 2010s and changed the relationship between privacy and the press in the United States. The recording, made in 2006, showed the legendary wrestler engaging in sexual activities with Heather Clem, the wife of his then-friend and radio host Todd "Bubba the Love Sponge" Clem. Hogan always claimed he was unaware he was being filmed and, upon discovering the existence of the video years later, he suffered a deep personal and public crisis.

In 2012, the sensationalist website Gawker Media published a portion of the video accompanied by an article, claiming the content had "journalistic interest". Hogan sued the outlet for invasion of privacy, stating that the dissemination had caused serious emotional and reputational harm. The trial, followed by millions of viewers, concluded in 2016 with a historic verdict: a Florida jury awarded Hogan $140 million in damages, leading Gawker to declare bankruptcy and sell all its assets.

The case stood out for its legal and media impact. It was financed by tech mogul Peter Thiel, who admitted to helping the wrestler to stop what he considered an 'abuse of sensationalist journalism'. In addition to the economic victory, the scandal reignited the debate on the boundaries between press freedom and the right to privacy of public figures. Hogan, despite the personal consequences, emerged as a symbol of privacy defense in the digital age.