Hulk Hogan claims ex wife defamed him
By Pankaj Ladhar of Manos • Alwine P.L.
Former World Wrestling Federation champion Hulk Hogan has filed a defamation lawsuit against his former wife after she published various accusations against him in her book. In his lawsuit filed in Florida, Hogan denies the truth of his ex-wife’s statements in the book and has requested that the book be pulled from the shelves.
In this case it will apparently be up to a jury to determine the veracity of the ex-wife’s statements and decide whether they do indeed constitute defamation. For celebrities and entertainers false statement that damage their reputation can be more than just embarrassing, they can have a dramatic and negative impact on their ability to succeed in their chosen profession. When an image is tarnished sales and endorsements may be fleeting.
While talent is generally a necessary precondition to being a successful entertainer, it is not always a sufficient condition to ensure commercial success. The reputation and public persona of an entertainer also plays a huge role in determining who will end up with a viable entertainment career. Developing and maintain an effective personal brand is often vital. There are of course incidents where a person’s reputation is damaged through their own acts and demeanor. While this is unfortunate enough, to have one’s reputation ruined as result of false or baseless accusations is particularly troubling and can cause real monetary harm.
In many cases, the person who is making the false accusation is themselves seeking to gain monetarily by publishing outlandish or inflammatory statements about a celebrity. Of course, it the statements are true it is a defense to any claims of defamation.
Source: Fox News, “Hulk Hogan Files Defamation Suit Against Ex Linda Bollea Over Autobiography Claims,” Dec. 9, 2011