Univision deletes Gawker posts tied to litigation

Univision, which bought Gawker Media, has removed several posts on Gawker websites because they are involved in lawsuits.

Gawker Media’s executive editor, John Cook, said in a memo to staffers that two Univision executives voted to remove six posts on Gizmodo, Jezebel and Deadspin.

Cook said Univision believes that leaving the posts up would expose it to inherited liability.

In a statement, Univision said Saturday that the decision “was based on a desire to have a clean slate” as it attempts to grow the acquired websites. Univision declined to describe the litigation related to the posts.

Their removal was first reported by Gizmodo.

Spanish-language broadcaster Univision’s Unimoda subsidiary won an auction last month to buy Gawker Media for $135 million. Gawker’s flagship site, gawker.com, covered media, culture and politics in a gossipy style. It shut down after the sale, but sister websites, including Gizmodo, Jezebel and Deadspin, still operate.

Gawker Media filed for bankruptcy protection in June after former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan was awarded $140 million in damages after Gawker published a sex video of Hogan and a friend’s wife.