According to The Tampa Bay Times, a Florida appellate court ordered today that sealed materials pertaining to the Hulk Hogan and Heather Clem sex tape case against Gawker will be released, overturning a previous order that the records be sealed.
In October and November of last year, Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Pamela Campbell entered several orders making many of the records in the case confidential. The Tampa Bay Times and other news organizations intervened, arguing that the order was too broad and limited the public’s right to information about the case.
On Wednesday, the appellate court sided with the newspaper.
There’s no knowledge yet as to what the records could contain, but the newspaper theorized they may include the sex tape material which featured Hogan using racist and homophobic slurs that subsequently led to WWE severing all ties with Hogan back in July 2015. The records might also contain material related to the FBI investigation into the alleged extortion attempts against Hogan.
It should be noted that the records will have no impact on the trial itself, as both Hogan and Gawker have had access to the materials from the start. Today’s ruling means that the previously sealed records can now be made public.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
