TMZ's Harvey Levin says that traditional media is hypocritical for gloating about Peter Thiel's attempt to destroy Gawker

Harvey Levin, TMZ founder and executive producer, says he turned down the Hulk Hogan sex tape that became the basis for the Peter Thiel-funded lawsuit to put Gawker Media out of business.

But even if publishing the tape didn't meet TMZ's standards, he thinks "traditional media" should hold off before casting stones at Gawker.

"There's a certain amount of chest-pounding that I've seen in some traditional media that I find really hypocritical," Levin said onstage Wednesday at the Code Conference. He went on to share a story about actor David Hasselhoff that he thinks captures the doublespeak.

"I'm thinking back to David Hasselhoff — I’m sure you remember the hamburger video," Levin told Recode editors Peter Kafka and Kara Swisher. The tape that Levin is referring to was a 2007 video of Hasselhoff drunkenly eating a hamburger off the floor, and it later made the rounds on a number of TV outlets.

"That video went everywhere. Everyone ran that video. There was no second-guessing about it," Levin said. "This was video that was taken at the behest of an alcoholic who went to his daughter, and he made a pact that if he fell off the wagon, [she would video him and] he would get scared straight."

"Her ex-boyfriend stole the tape, and sold it. Nobody ever said boo about that," Levin continued. "Yet they’re chest-pounding on this. To me it was as invasive as the Hulk Hogan tape."

That said, Levin doesn't think Thiel putting his billions to use by funding lawsuits against Gawker is all that shady or strange.

"I have to say, 'Maybe I'm missing something.' I don't understand the story behind that," Levin said. "It's like, okay, so Hulk Hogan got financial help from some guy. The only issue is, is that disclosed to Hulk Hogan? I'm assuming he absolutely knew. I don't see the story there. As a lawyer it happens all the time."

"Do you get sued by billionaires, secretly or publicly?" Peter Kafka asked.

"Not secretly, and I can't think of a billionaire that has a beef with us," Levin replied.

Our signature events sell out quickly. Sign up for our mailing list.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?

Most news outlets make their money through advertising or subscriptions. But when it comes to what we’re trying to do at Vox, there are a couple of big issues with relying on ads and subscriptions to keep the lights on:

First, advertising dollars go up and down with the economy. We often only know a few months out what our advertising revenue will be, which makes it hard to plan ahead.

Second, we’re not in the subscriptions business. Vox is here to help everyone understand the complex issues shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. And we can’t do that if we have a paywall.

So even though advertising is still our biggest source of revenue, we also seek grants and reader support. (And no matter how our work is funded, we have strict guidelines on editorial independence.)

If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today? Any amount helps.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$5/month

$10/month

$25/month

$50/month

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $5/month

Yes, I'll give $5/month

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via