Fox Sports news reporter Erin Andrews was awarded $55 million on Monday, March 7, 2016 by a Nashville jury in a lawsuit over a secretly filmed nude video.
The $75 million lawsuit was brought against her stalker, Michael Barrett, as well as the owner and management company of the Nashville Marriott where the video was filmed.
Andrews’ attorneys argued that the hotel erred in allowing Barrett to learn where she was staying in the hotel, and by letting him book a room next to her. Andrews’ attorney told the jury, “[But] if somebody asks for a room next to someone else, you can’t just assume that’s a good-natured person. Isn’t the hotel supposed to think, ‘Wait a minute, why do you not need that information from us? What’s afoot here?'”
Barrett’s video was taken with a camera held up to her missing peephole. Barrett eventually put the video online, earning him 2.5 years in prison.
The jury found that Barrett was 51-percent at fault, while hotel management company Windsor Capital Group and owner West End Hotel Partners were 49-percent responsible.
During Andrews’ testimony, she told the jury how she has suffered over the past seven years since the video went viral. She explained the treatment she sought to deal with the trauma, and how she has come up with an intricate strategy for checking out the hotel rooms she stays in. She explained that as soon as she gets to a new hotel she immediately changes her room and refuses room service. She also explained how she thoroughly checks the room for any hidden cameras.
Her parents also testified, telling the jury that Andrews is a “shell” of her former self.