CHICAGO Erin Andrews, the reporter for ESPN who was victimized last year by a stalker who secretly taped her nude in several hotel rooms and subsequently published the videos online, has filed a civil lawsuit today in Cook County Circuit Court against eight defendants, including Marriott International Inc., Radisson Hotels International Inc. and Preferred Hotel Group Inc.
Andrews accuses the hoteliers of negligence, infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy. The other defendants are West End Hotel Partners LLC, which owns Nashville Marriott At Vanderbilt University; Windsor Capital Group Inc.; Ashtel Inc., owner of Radisson Hotel Milwaukee Airport; The Ohio State University, which owns The Blackwell Inn in Columbus, Ohio; and Michael David Barrett, the man convicted of stalking and videotaping her.
Representatives for Marriott Radisson parent company Carlson Hotels Worldwide did not respond to requests by HOTELS for comment. A Preferred spokesman declined comment.
Hotels Provided Information
According to Andrews’ attorneys, the respective hotels each confirmed to Barrett over the phone that Andrews was staying at the hotels, and they also revealed her room numbers to Barrett and provided him with guestrooms immediately adjacent to hers. In each case, the lawsuit claims, Barrett subsequently checked in to the room next to Andrews, modified the peephole and surreptitiously filmed her through the altered peephole while she was getting dressed.
“I’ve filed this lawsuit to hold accountable those who put my personal safety at risk and who allowed my privacy to be invaded while I was a guest at their hotel, as well as for actually stalking me and making my most personal moments public,” Andrews says in a statement. “Although I’ll never be able to fully erase the impact that this invasion of privacy has had upon me and my family, I do hope that my experience will cause the hospitality industry to be more vigilant in protecting its guests from the time they reserve a hotel room until they check out.”