Aug 7 (Reuters) - Gawker Media Group is engaged in preliminary talks with the former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan to reach a settlement over a $140 million court judgment that led the company to file for bankruptcy protection, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

The settlement talks come a week ahead of a court-administered auction that will see Gawker Chief Executive Nick Denton lose control of the company, the Journal said. (http://on.wsj.com/2aFf31B)

Similar discussions had taken place throughout the legal process, but it was not clear if the new talks would lead to a settlement, the WSJ said, citing two unnamed sources it said were familiar with the matter.

Gawker and representatives for Denton and Hogan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Rama Venkat Raman in Bengaluru and Jessica DiNapoli in New York; Editing by Bill Rigby)