In 2009, Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart became embroiled in a wild scandal that ended in a lawsuit. Tabloid editors were salivating after Dane’s personal life was revealed to be even more racy than his McSteamy on-screen persona’s. It all started after Gawker posted a leaked “naked threesome” tape on its Defamer blog. It captured the unclad couple downing drinks in a hot tub while getting cozy with an equally nude 2004 Miss United States Teen winner Kari Ann Peniche.
Gawker ran a run-down on the tabloid frenzy that followed Defamer’s big reveal. “Rub-a-Dub-Dub…Three in a Tub!” screamed a Star magazine headline, branding Peniche “a notorious Hollywood madam.” In Touch Weekly asked, “Can their marriage survive?” claiming the couple was “[struggling] with another public scandal.” Meanwhile, per People, the Twitterverse went into meltdown. “Eric Dane has made a sex tape. See, people? God does answer prayers,” one user wrote. “Eric Dane & Rebecca Gayheart have a druggy sex tape w/ an old beauty queen. NSFW. FUNNY!” another posted.
Read Related Also: Dear Abby: I want to leave my older boyfriend for someone my age
The now-defunct Gawker Media was laughing all the way to the bank as their traffic surged. However, the smile was quickly wiped off its face after Dane and Gayheart slapped the company with a $1 million lawsuit for copyright infringement. Daily News reports that the actors were victorious in their legal battle. Gawker was ordered to remove the video, which had racked up over 4 million views, and make a six-figure payment to Dane and Gayheart.
