Monday, October 19, 2015

Erin Andrews Sues Marriott For $75M

Erin Andrews
Sportscaster/DWTS Cohost Erin Andrews wants $75 million from a convicted stalker and the hotel where he recorded video of her naked through a peephole, according to a new court filing.

In an amended complaint filed Tuesday, Andrews says she is seeking the eight-figure sum from Marriott International, West End Hotel Partners, Windsor Capital Group and Michael Barrett.

The sports journalist stayed at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University hotel on Sept. 2, 2008. Barrett requested a hotel room next to Andrews', altered her room's peephole, and recorded video of Andrews changing and getting dressed, according to her lawsuit.

"Defendant Barrett then posted the surreptitious videos of plaintiff on the Internet from Illinois, thereby allowing, permitting, and disseminating the illegal and unauthorized videos worldwide," the complaint states. "On July 16, 2009, plaintiff Erin Andrews became aware for the first time that she had been surreptitiously videotaped while changing and/or getting dressed at various hotel rooms and that her privacy had been invaded."

She says the hotel was negligent for revealing to Barrett where she was staying, and for failing to discover that he had altered the peephole in her room.

Courthouse News reports Barrett was sentenced in 2010 to two and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to interstate stalking with the intent to harass. He admitted to stalking Andrews for 18 months and tracking her to at least three hotel rooms in three states.

"Barrett made the videos after removing the peephole device from the door in one of the hotel rooms and using his mobile phone to capture video of Ms. Andrews while she was naked," according to a U.S. Attorney's Office press release. "In January 2009, TMZ.com was offered the opportunity to purchase the nude videos via email messages, an offer that the celebrity website immediately declined. Barrett subsequently posted 10 of the videos on the Internet, identifying Ms. Andrews as the victim."

The reporter is suing the Nashville hotel and Barrett for negligence, infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy.

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