Gawker
Gawker was an American blog founded by Nick Denton and Elizabeth Spiers that was based in New York City and focused on celebrities and the media industry.[1] According to SimilarWeb, the site had over 23 million visits per month as of 2015.[2] Founded in 2002, Gawker was the flagship blog for Denton's Gawker Media. Gawker Media also managed other blogs such as Jezebel, io9, Deadspin and Kotaku.
Type of site
Blog
2002 (original)
2021 (relaunch)
August 22, 2016 (original)
February 1, 2023 (relaunch)
New York City
Gawker Media (2002–2016)
Bustle Digital Group (2018–2023)
Meng Ru Kuok (2023–present)
Leah Finnegan
Yes
2002 (original)
July 28, 2021 (relaunch)
Shut down
Gawker had come under scrutiny for posting videos, communications and other content that violated copyrights or the privacy of its owners, or was illegally obtained. Gawker's publication of a sex tape featuring Hulk Hogan led Hogan to sue the company for invasion of privacy. Hogan received financial support from billionaire investor Peter Thiel, who had been outed by Gawker against his wishes. On June 10, 2016, Gawker filed for bankruptcy after being ordered to pay Hogan $140 million in damages.[3][4] On August 18, 2016, Gawker Media announced that its namesake blog would be ceasing operations the following week.[5] Its other websites were unaffected, and continued publication under Univision as the renamed Gizmodo Media Group. Founder Nick Denton created the site's final post on August 22, 2016.[6] The Freedom of the Press Foundation independently archived the Gawker website and its articles in 2018.[7][8]
On July 12, 2018, Bryan Goldberg, owner of Bustle and Elite Daily, purchased Gawker.com and its archive in a bankruptcy auction for less than $1.5 million.[9] Gawker relaunched under the Bustle Digital Group on July 28, 2021, with Leah Finnegan as editor.[10] On February 1, 2023, Bustle Digital Group suspended the site's operations. Finnegan tweeted that the publication was folding.[11]
In November 2023, Gawker was acquired by Meng Ru Kuok.[12] The Gawker digital archive was not included in this purchase and all articles have been removed from the website.[12][13]