Sports journalist Erin Andrews has won $55 million (AUD74 million) in a civil lawsuit after alleging that a video of her naked was secretly recorded and published during a hotel stay.
The sportscaster initially sought $75 million ($100 million AUD) in damages from the owner and manager of the Nashville, Tennessee hotel where he was staying, and his stalker, Michael David Barrett.
He reportedly pleaded guilty in 2008 to using a hacksaw to smash a peephole in her room and record the video.
West End Hotel Partners, which owns and operates the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University, argues that Barrett’s criminal conduct is not their fault, but his own.
Andrews in his role as a sports anchor. Photo: Getty
Erin Andrews posted this on Twitter after the verdict. Photo: Twitter
Michael David Barrett served time in prison for videotaping the incident. Photo: Provided
The jury deliberated the case for seven hours and concluded that Barrett should pay $28 million and that the remaining $26.75 million should be paid by the hotel operator, West End Hotel Partners.
The success of the trial depended on proving that the management of the Nashville Marriott should be held liable for Barrett’s actions.
The defence said in court that this was an “extraordinary event” that the hotel could not have prevented and that Barrett alone bore responsibility for what happened.
In that case, prosecutors argued that hotel staff told Barrett which room Andrews would be staying in and allowed him to book the room next to her.
Andrews’ lawyer, Bruce Broyer, argued that the hotel “encouraged” Barrett by not informing her that she had requested a room.
“The case against Marriott concerns gross negligence on its part in putting Mr. Barrett in a position to do such a thing,” Broyer said.
Andrews, 37, testified over two days last week, breaking down in tears multiple times as she described the impact the video, which was published online in 2009, had on her personal life.
Closing arguments on both sides concluded Friday, sending the jury to verdict deliberations.
During the trial, Andrews said the video still haunts her and she “thinks about it every day.”
During the trial, computer forensics experts revealed that an estimated 16.8 million people had viewed the video.
“The video is on the Internet and I was told it will remain on the Internet until I die,” said Andrews, who worked for ESPN when the video was released but now works for Fox Sports.
Barrett had previously been convicted of stalking Ms Andrews at a criminal trial and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.