I’m nitpicking, but the reason Gawker went bust was because someone went out of their way to make sure they did. Sure the tape was the proximate cause, but if it hadn’t been that, it’d have been something else.
Peter Thiel was going around with an open checkbook, actively looking for anyone who may have a viable case against Gawker. If it hadn't been Hulk Hogan's sex tape case, it would have been unlawful termination, or some other grievance that involved Gawker Media in some way.
Edit: lol, no wonder parent & gp were circumspect on names - I'm getting downvoted :'-D Anyhow, here are my sources:
Yup. Gawker was victim of a targeted assassination. Sure, their editor gave a truly disastrous deposition which probably directly caused them to lose that particular case more than any other single factor, but if it hadn’t been that case, it would have been the next fact pattern where a well funded opposition would have even a slim chance at nailing them to the wall.
There’s plenty Gawker did that I didn’t like or didn’t care for, but as a proponent of free speech, I see nothing positive about them losing that shit.
