What the?
ESPN sportscaster Erin Andrews has been in an ongoing battle with a stalker who filmed her naked inside her hotel room, and when the defense took the stand, the team argued that the video only improved her flourishing media career.
Erin Andrews testified that the video has ruined her life and that it will always haunt her, but the defense countered that argument by saying that it actually didn’t hurt her career.
“You have done very well in your career since 2009,” said the attorney of her alleged stalker. 2009 was when the video was taken and uploaded to the internet. The video gained national attention and it is suspected to have been viewed nearly 17 million times.
He continued to imply that her career did not suffer any damage, saying, “You got a second contract with ESPN, right? And it was a better contract than you had the first time, right?” He then went on to say, “your income has gone up substantially since this occurred,” which was followed by an objection by her team.
Andrews has done very well throughout her career. She has interviewed tons of athletes, joined sports shows, appeared on Dancing with the Stars, scored endorsements, and began hosting Dancing With the Stars a few seasons back. However, her successful career can’t be linked to a video and crime that could have easily destroyed it. Implying that it helped it only hurts Andrews and women in a male dominated industry.
Andrews’ privacy was violated and that is the crime here. That is the story we should be talking about.
In 2009, Andrews was staying at the Marriot Hotel in Nashville, when the suspect, Matthew Barret, requested the room next to hers. He then went on to drill a peephole into her room and film her when she was naked. The video was uploaded and Barret pleaded guilty to charges.
This disturbing incident has taken a toll on Erin’s life and her general feeling of security. Her once bubbly personality has been shattered. She has had to come to terms with needing counseling for the rest of her life which she admits is difficult for her “because I’ve always been the independent woman in the male-dominated industry.”
Andrews is often looked at as a role model for young women interested in the sportscasting field, but she resents the situation that happened to her because of the messages she has received from fans. “I think what really hits home for me and hurts me the worst is when girls, high school, college, they tweet me and say, ‘I want to be Erin Andrews — except for the Marriott stalker thing,’,” said Andrews.
The jury is expected to begin deliberating this week.