NASHVILLE — Sportscaster Erin Andrews said that doing interviews with athletes became difficult after a naked video of her shot through a peephole was posted on the Internet and went wildly viral.
“I felt like when I walked into a room… I felt like everybody was watching me like they’d seen the video,” she told a Nashville court on Tuesday.
The sportscasters’ comments were made during her second day on the stand in her $75 million civil trial over the video, which was recorded and posted online by a stalker.
The Fox Sports reporter said she felt “embarrassed, humiliated, mortified” because of the video.
ARLINGTON, TX – NOVEMBER 22: Sideline reporter Erin Andrews during a Thanksgiving Day game between the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium on November 22, 2012 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Andrews said she tried to immerse herself in work in the hopes that if she could cover three football games in a week, compete on and host “Dancing With the Stars” then people would forget about the video and she could too.
But she testified that eventually she was unable to bury herself in work and sought help because she still felt “screwed up.”
Andrews told the court about how difficult it will be to discuss the video with her future children and talked about her current relationship with boyfriend Jarret Stoll.
“I think he would’ve loved the girl more that was there before this happened,” Andrews said, through tears.
Andrews also detailed how the video has changed her travel patterns.
She said that as soon as she gets to a hotel — regardless of the city — she changes her room from the one she was originally booked in. She also says a man is traveling with her even when there isn’t one.
Andrews doesn’t allow anyone to bring her bags to her room, uses a “do not disturb” sign and doesn’t allow room service to clean her room.
Before settling in, she said she thoroughly checks the bed, the clock, the air conditioning grate and especially the bathroom for hidden cameras and looks for tell-tale red lights of possible hidden recorders.
She also covers the peephole and won’t stay in a room with an adjoining room.
In addition, Andrews said she “booby traps” the room, setting a piece of paper or some other object by the door so she can see if someone had walked by while she was gone.
Andrews is bringing her suit against her stalker Michael David Barrett and the owner and management company of the Nashville Marriott where the videos were secretly taken.
Andrews’ attorney alleges that the Marriott was negligent because an employee told Barrett which room Andrews was staying in.
During cross examination, Andrews a defense attorney cited a litany of new contracts, endorsement deals and television appearances that she’d had since the online video went public in 2009.
“Your income has increased since the…” a defense attorney attempted to ask Andrews, before her attorney raised an objection.
The defense attorney reworded the question and asked Andrews whether she had done well for herself since the 2009 incident.
Andrews said yes and then discussed the length of the video.
“You have no idea how hard it is to have four minutes of your naked body and your private space shown online,” she said.
