Hulk Hogan Feels "Vindicated," Has Seen "Uptick" in Work After Victory Against Gawker in Sex Tape Trial

Hulk Hogan's career appears to be on the mend since he won his lawsuit against Gawker for publishing a sex tape of him without his permission.

The 62-year-old most famous wrestling star in the world, whose real name is Terry Bollea, had sued the website for posing a video of him being intimate with his then-best friend's wife. A Florida jury awarded Hogan $140 million for emotional distress, economic damages and punitive damages. Gawker CEO and founder Nick Denton, who was ordered to pay $10 million of it, had called the trial a "sham from the start." The company filed an appeal on April 4.

Meanwhile, Hogan has been in good spirits since his legal victory.

"He feels vindicated," a source told E! News exclusively. "For him, a verdict meant people believed him. Right now he's spending time with his wife and just taking a breath for a minute. The trial was a big circus and he's just taking a breath."

"In terms of work, there's definitely been an uptick," the source added. "Especially since the trial started in March. People saw the true story and are happy to be in business with him. The companies he's been working with for years have not wavered. LoanMart, for example, has stuck by him. He feels good. He feels like the verdict showed that people believed him. He feels good about his career and things overall."

Hogan has appeared in commercials for the finance company 1-800 LoanMart for years. In February, the lender announced a "new creative collaboration" with Hogan, saying he would be featured in more ads.