Harvey Levin’s new Fox News ‘Objectified’ series to Hogan, Cuban, Schwarzenegger

Hulk Hogan will discuss the successful lawsuit that took down Gawker when he joins Harvey Levin Sunday night on Levin’s new Fox News program, “Objectified.” 

Hogan, whose real name in Terry Bollea, sued Gawker for $100 million for defamation and emotional strain in 2015 after the site published a private sex tape of him. The suit was reportedly primarily funded by Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel.

Hogan settled for $31 million in 2016, forcing Gawker — a provocative online publication that focused on celebrities and those in the media —. to go out of business.

Levin told the Hill in an interview that while Hogan scored a rare victory in the world of defamation lawsuits, he did so at a high price.

“I don’t think he has full closure at all because there were consequences,” Levin said by phone. “Remember, he was banned from wrestling, you know, it’s the core of his life. And, you know, it caused him big problems. So, this was not without other costs.”

“[The lawsuit] was much bigger than me or much bigger than my career,” Hogan said in an excerpt released ahead of the Sunday night edition.

“Objectified” won a 10-episode series on Sundays after delivering big ratings for Fox News with a special featuring then-candidate Donald Trump in 2016.

That episode — which was filmed in September 2016 and aired shortly after Trump’s stunning victory on Nov. 8 — delivered more than 4 million viewers, making it the most-watched Friday program of the year on the network.

The program hosted by the TMZ founder primarily focuses on objects Levin’s guests have amassed throughout their lives and the stories behind them.

“The point of the show is not to find expensive objects,” Levin explains.

“One of the things [Hogan] kept was an object for the Gawker trial,” he continues. “He actually had a legal pad that he doodled on during the trial, and he was showing me that, and what he was writing, and why he was writing it, you know, as he was listening to the testimony.”

“So, you know, there are things that connect to the people that may not necessarily be obviously significant, but are.”

Levin’s guests for the upcoming season include billionaire businessman Mark Cuban, a staunch critic of President Trump.

“I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he runs for president in 2020,” Levin said, “The things he said to me were surprising and interesting.”

Also set to be featured on the program are a wide array of guests from across the political, business and sports and celebrity spectrum, including former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), actor and comedian Tyler Perry, former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, businesswoman Martha Stewart, and reality TV star Simon Cowell, among others.

“I want it to be all over the place,” Levin says.

“I don’t want it to just be television people, or movie stars, or politicians. I think it really should be a mix of all of that.”

“Objectified” airs Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. ET.