Why was Hulk Hogan in a St. Petersburg courtroom earlier this week? According to Bay News 9, Hogan — whose real name is Terry Bollea — has asked a judge to bring the agent of Tampa Bay radio personality Mike Calta back into a $110 million invasion of privacy lawsuit.
Hogan is suing old Bubba the Love Sponge Clem employees Calta and Matt Loyd — plus Loyd’s wife Tasha Carrega, Carrega’s friend Lori Burbridge, Beverly Hills attorney Keith Davidson and Cox Radio — because they allegedly conspired to “leak and financially benefit from illegally recorded video” of the wrestling legend having sex with Heather Cole, Clem’s wife.
Bay News 9 reports that Hogan attorney Shane Vogt cited new phone records to a new judge on the case, Linda Allan, saying the evidence proves Calta agent Tony Burton downplayed his involvement in the conspiracy. Hogan wants Burton and Buchwald & Associates, the New York agency where Burton works, added to the lawsuit once again.
In December 2017, a different judge determined lack of personal jurisdiction and sworn affidavits from Buchwald & Associates and Burton showed they weren’t part of the conspiracy. The agent and agency were ultimately dismissed from the lawsuit.
“Hogan appealed the ruling to the 2nd District Court of Appeal whom recently agreed to relinquish jurisdiction for 60 days to allow the trial court to rule on a ‘motion for relief from judgement’ based on the new evidence,” writes Bay News 9.
Fast forward to the present: Judge Allan has told both sides to prepare a proposed order within 10 days. Then she’ll rule on whether or not to move forward with an evidentiary hearing.
The trail should start Aug. 31, 2020.
This article appears in Jan 24-31, 2019.