HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — ESPN continued its offensive assault Wednesday in the wake of the Erin Andrews peephole video scandal when it banned New York Post reporters from appearing on any of its programming.
Citing the publication’s poor taste in posting three pictures on Tuesday from the blurry video, the network said it would not allow Post reporters to continue on as regular guests on ESPN shows.
“While we understand the Post’s decision to cover this as a news story, their running photos obtained in such a fashion went well beyond the boundaries of common decency in the interest of sensationalism,” ESPN senior vice president of communications Chris LaPlaca said in a statement to the Associated Press.
The video in question appears to have been filmed through a hotel room peephole. It shows Andrews standing nude in front of a mirror in her room as she fixes her hair.
While the story first broke on Tuesday, it appears the nude tape has been around for some time. According to the blog DonChavez.com, it was posted in February on the French Web site Dailymotion.com by a user known as Goblazers1.
The Post argues that ESPN is at fault for blowing the cover on the video after the network sent a cease-and-desist letter last week to the Web site NSFWPOA.com, which had since posted the video.
Andrews’ attorney, Marshall B. Grossman, issued a statement threatening legal action soon after the peephole scandal first surfaced.
“While alone in the privacy of her hotel room, Erin Andrews was surreptitiously videotaped without her knowledge or consent,” read the statement. “She was the victim of a crime and is taking action to protect herself and help ensure that others are not similarly violated in the future.
“Although the perpetrator or perpetrators of this criminal act have not yet been identified, when they are identified she intends to bring both civil and criminal charges against them and against anyone who has published the material. We request respect of Erin’s privacy at this time, while she and her representatives are working with the authorities.”
The University of Florida graduate was voted “America’s Sexiest Sportscaster” by Playboy magazine in both 2007 and 2008.
The 31-year-old Andrews joined ESPN in May 2004.
