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Celebrity sportscaster Erin Andrews' $75 million trial against the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University and her stalker, Michael David Barrett - who filmed her in the nude through a peephole at the hotel - moved to jury deliberations Friday.
But as the jury's decision awaits, Marriott International attempted to set the record straight Monday, releasing a breakdown of the facts of the case in respect to how it pertains to the Bethesda, Maryland-based company.
The key fact is that the company is not on trial in wake of a court ruling it had no liability.
Because the hotel is franchised, it's operated independently under a license from Marriott to use its trademarks. Therefore, the hotel's owner, West End Hotel Partners, LLC, and operator, Windsor Capital Group, are on trial in this case.
In addition to pointing out that Barrett was arrested, convicted and sentenced to jail time for his crime against Andrews back in 2008, Marriott confirmed that its legal team has had no involvement in the trial.
"Our legal team is not among those that have questioned Ms. Andrews during this trial," the company stated. "Additionally, the witness who allegedly viewed the video of Ms. Andrews in a Nashville restaurant earlier this week is a representative for the owner and not a Marriott employee."
In a statement that accompanied the facts, Marriott said it "is sympathetic to the ordeal that Erin Andrews went through because of Michael David Barrett's criminal conduct."
"We continue to be sensitive to the serious nature of this matter and remain committed to the safety and comfort of our guests," the company concluded.
Marriott's announcement comes less than one week after Andrews gave an emotional testimony.
The 37-year-old Fox Sports reporter is seeking $75 million in damages and accuses the hotel and Barrett of negligence, infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy.
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