The lawyer representing wrestling icon Hulk Hogan in his prolific legal battle with Gawker Media has threatened the media company with yet another lawsuit – this time, from the hair treatment clinic behind Donald Trump’s much-debated blonde combover. Ivari International is reportedly considering legal action against Gawker after the publication ran a feature-length article about Mr Trump’s hair and the costly treatments behind its upkeep.

‘False and misleading’ statements

According to the article, titled ‘Is Donald Trump’s hair a $60,000 Weave? A Gawker Investigation,’ Mr Trump has spent tens of thousands of dollars on a hair restoration treatment called ‘microcylinder intervention’ that is only available at Ivari International. A letter from lawyer Charles J. Harder sent on behalf of Ivari owner Edward Ivari claims the piece contains as many as 19 false and defamatory claims and constitutes ‘tortious interference with actual and prospective business relations.’ The company is threatening formal legal action against Gawker unless it retracts the article and issues an apology. However, Gawker has been quick to counter that many of the ‘misleading’ statements cited in Ivari’s complaint are in fact pulled directly from the company’s own website and promotional materials.

GC response

Gawker general counsel and president Heather Dietrick has labeled Mr Harder’s request on behalf of Mr Ivari that the article be retracted as ‘vastly overbroad’ and has emphasised that Mr Harder ‘took no issue with the central thesis of the piece – that Mr Ivari has worked on Donald Trump’s hair.’ In light of the barrage of legal challenges currently being aimed at Gawker, Ms Dietrick has stepped up to take an enhanced leadership role in the company. Gawker founder and chief executive Nick Denton recently told the New York Times that his company ‘would not run’ without Ms Dietrick’s efforts: ‘She’s the person who holds everything together,’ he said.

Sources: New York Times; The Verge