Sportscaster Erin Andrews just dropped a bombshell, sharing that back in 2009, she genuinely thought her whole career was toast after a horrifying nude video of her leaked online. She didn’t mince words, calling the violation “gross” in a candid chat on “Call Her Daddy” this past Wednesday.
“No One’s Going to Take Me Seriously Ever Again”
Andrews was hitting her stride in the mid-2000s, getting calls about “Dancing With the Stars” and working the ESPYs backstage. She was a rising star, but she didn’t see herself as a “big deal,” so aliases? Not on her radar. She was out there covering ‘College Game Day’ and ‘Thursday Night Football’, pretty much an open book on her location. Then came the call from a blogger friend, who’d been trying to reach her all day. He broke the news: “There’s naked video of you all over the internet.”
Her first reaction? Pure disbelief. “No, there’s not, I don’t do that. I just don’t.” But then he sent the footage. The shock hit hard. Andrews described it as an “outer body experience,” screaming and crying when she called her parents, her dad even thinking she’d been in a car accident because of how hard she was screaming. For her, someone who loved her job and was seen as “the girl next door,” it was a catastrophic blow. She told her dad, “It’s over, my career is over. No one’s going to take me seriously ever again.” She truly believed no one would ever want to work with her or talk to her again, feeling like “This is so dirty. This is gross. This changes who I am.”
The Disgusting Stalker and The Fight for Justice
What makes this even more chilling are the details of how it happened. Andrews recalled this “disgusting person” following her around cities. This stalker was next-level creepy. He’d set up his cell phone right next to her hotel room, even taking off the peephole at the door. He’d specifically ask for a room right next to hers, and get this: the hotel never even bothered to alert her that this was happening. He’d just wait and listen for her. It’s sickening.
The entire ordeal sparked a massive investigation, with the FBI getting involved. Michael David Barrett was arrested three months after the video went public. He faced charges for interstate stalking, pleaded guilty in 2009, and ultimately served over two years in prison. Andrews’ story is a raw look at a nightmare that was very real, and the absolute violation she endured.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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