By Satyakam Erin Andrews’ lawsuit became one of the most talked-about privacy and negligence cases of the last decade. It stemmed from a horrifying incident in 2008 when a man secretly filmed her through a hotel peephole and posted the video online without her consent. The case went all the way to a civil jury trial, ended with a huge financial award, and raised real questions about guest privacy and hotel responsibility.
What Happened to Erin Andrews
Erin Andrews, a well-known sportscaster and TV host, was staying at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University while covering a college football game in 2008. A man named Michael David Barrett learned where she was staying — in part because hotel staff confirmed her reservation — and then arranged to get the room next to hers.
Barrett then modified the peephole on Andrews’ door and videotaped her through it as she was undressing. The footage ended up online, where it spread rapidly and was viewed by millions. Andrews had no idea it existed until friends told her it was circulating.
Criminal Charges Against the Stalker
Michael Barrett was arrested after an investigation and ultimately pleaded guilty in 2009 to stalking and making the video. He was sentenced to roughly two and a half years in prison and was released in 2012. The criminal case was separate from Andrews’ civil lawsuit.
The Civil Suit Against Barrett and the Hotel
Andrews didn’t stop at the criminal case. She filed a civil lawsuit alleging invasion of privacy, negligence, and emotional distress. Her claim was against both Barrett and the hotel’s owner and operator — West End Hotel Partners and Windsor Capital Group — because she said the hotel failed in basic privacy protections.
She had sought $75 million in damages, saying the event destroyed her sense of safety and caused long-term emotional harm. A jury trial in Nashville began years later, giving both sides a chance to present evidence and testimony about what went wrong.
The Jury Verdict: $55 Million
In March 2016 the jury delivered a landmark verdict. They found Barrett and the hotel companies liable and awarded Andrews a total of $55 million. The jury assigned 51 percent of the blame to Barrett and 49 percent to the hotel entities. That meant Barrett was responsible for roughly $28 million while the hotel owed about $27 million under the verdict.
The jury agreed with Andrews that the hotel had been negligent — in part because staff had confirmed her reservation to Barrett and allowed him to choose the room next to hers without warning her of the suspicious request. The hotel’s attorneys argued that Barrett acted alone and that the hotel could not have predicted his actions, but the jury saw it differently.
Settlement and Aftermath
Shortly after the verdict, Andrews reached a confidential settlement with the hotel’s owner and operator. The exact terms were not made public, but her attorney said she was satisfied with the outcome.
Even so, legal experts noted that headline figures like $55 million often get reduced significantly by legal fees, insurance coverage, and negotiated deals. In Barrett’s case, he likely could never pay his portion because he had limited assets.
Why This Case Mattered
This lawsuit did more than just award money. It highlighted how easily a guest’s privacy can be violated and why businesses must take basic safety and confidentiality seriously. The verdict also underscored that hotels might be held accountable when their actions or oversights help enable a crime.
Many legal experts point out that the trial touched on deeper issues — like how companies train staff and protect guest information, how emotional harm can be compensated under the law, and how powerful digital distribution can magnify a crime’s impact.
Conclusion
The Erin Andrews lawsuit remains a striking example of a privacy invasion in the digital age. A private moment was turned into a public spectacle, and the courts responded with one of the largest civil verdicts of its kind. Beyond the dollars, the case pushed hotel operators and the broader public to think harder about privacy, security, and what justice looks like when technology makes violations so easy — and so lasting.
LLHTeam