Erin Andrews Sues|Marriott for $2 Million

NASHVILLE (CN) - ESPN reporter Erin Andrews has filed a second lawsuit that claims a hotel negligently rented her stalker an adjacent room, from which he filmed her naked through a peephole and posted it on the Internet.

Michael Barrett was sentenced in March 2010 to 2 1/2 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to interstate stalking with the intent to harass. He admitted he stalked Andrews for 18 months, and tracked 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," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

"In January 2009, TMZ.com was offered the opportunity to purchase the nude videos via email messages, an offer that the celebrity Web site immediately declined. Barrett subsequently posted 10 of the videos on the Internet, identifying Ms. Andrews as the victim."

A few months after Barrett was sentenced, Andrews filed a complaint in Cook County Court against several hotel chains, including Marriott International and Radisson Hotels International.

Her latest complaint filed Thursday in Davidson County Court, names three of the eight defendants she sued in Chicago last year. The defendants are Marriot International, West End Hotel Partners dba Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University and Barrett.

As with the first case, her Tennessee complaint makes claims of negligence, infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy.

Andrews says Barrett called the hotel to find out where she was staying, and then asked to be placed in a room next to hers.

She says he then altered the peephole on her hotel room doors, rigged them with a camera and posted videos of her naked on the Internet.

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.

Andrews, a former "Dancing With the Stars" contestant, seeks $2 million in damages. Her Illinois complaint sought $65,000. Andrews is represented by Mary Parker with Parker & Crofford.

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit