As would be expected from GotNews‘ Editor Chuck C. Johnson, his announcement that he’s suing Gawker for libel came Thursday morning at 2:35 a.m.
Since he was recently booted off Twitter for threatening to take a story subject out (which he meant figuratively, not literally), he had to declare his intentions on Facebook.
Gawker has covered the ins and outs of Johnson, including the alleged news that he shit the floor in college — Johnson has vehemently denied that the incident ever happened. The way he explains it, he helped save a guy who was lying on the floor in a pile of his own feces. “I discovered the shit,” Johnson told The Mirror back in December.
In “Which of These Disgusting Charles Johnson Rumors are True?” Gawker addressed the matter of the pooping as well as other rumors such as “bragging that he urinated in his girlfriend’s mouth.” Which Johnson also claims never happened. You can read the rest here.
Johnson will, of course, have to get in line in his pursuit to take Gawker to court. The edgy gossip site is also embroiled in a lawsuit with Hulk Hogan, who is suing for $100 million after Gawker posted a video excerpt in 2012 of the wrestler having sex with Heather Clem, the ex-wife of Hogan’s friend, Bubba the Love Sponge.
The jury trial begins July 6 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Mirror has reached out to Johnson, who usually sleeps in the morning. I also sought comment from Gawker writer J.K. Trotter, who wrote, “What is Chuck Johnson and Why? The Web’s Worst Journalist, Explained.” I also sought comment from Gawker CEO Nick Denton and through the more generalized email request apparatus on the site.
UPDATE: Charles C. Johnson called. He remarked, “We’re filing within the hour. We’re suing the Gawker employees individually as well as Gawker Media. J.K. Trotter, Greg Howard, Erin Gloria Ryan, and Adam Weinstein. Those are the ones we are for sure suing. That list may expand. We’re also planning on suing @LittleGreenFootballs and Politico. I wish that it hadn’t come to this, but unfortunately these people have removed my right to defend myself on Twitter, so now I have to use the court to defend my reputation. On the whole, it’s nice to team up with Hulk Hogan and his people should call my people. I confess to walking around the house going watchagonnado brother? It’s going to be a lot of fun. We’re suing them first in Missouri and then in Fresno. I think it will change a lot of the calculation for the whole media once we start suing the reporters individually. …If I can be the straw that breaks Gawker’s back, I’m quite pleased. By the way we’re also suing CNN and Carol Costello for saying I wanted to assassinate DeRay McKesson.”
UPDATE 2: J.K. Trotter did not reply in words to my request for comment. But he did offer this link, which is a countdown of how long it has been since Johnson has threatened to sue someone.