Gawker Media Group is engaged in preliminary talks with the former professional wrestler known as Hulk Hogan to reach a settlement over a $140 million invasion-of-privacy judgment that forced the digital media company into bankruptcy, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The talks come a week ahead of a court-administered auction that will see Gawker’s founder, Nick Denton, lose control of the company he started 14 years ago.

The people familiar with the matter said similar discussions had taken place throughout the legal process—sometimes on orders from a judge and sometimes not—but had led nowhere, and it was unclear if the new talks would lead to a settlement.

In a statement, Gawker said: “We’ve been hearing these rumblings many times over the years when the judge ordered settlement discussions, and you know where we are now despite that.”

A spokeswoman for Terry Bollea, whose wrestling name was Hulk Hogan, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.