Erin Andrews Says ESPN Would Only Allow Her Back If She Gave a TV Interview

ESPN didn't fully stand behind Andrews when the news initially broke.

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Erin Andrews took the stand on Monday in the trial over her civil suit against the Nashville Marriott where Michael David Barrett videotaped her undressing through hotel room peephole in 2008. During her testimony, an emotional Andrews revealed that her now former employer ESPN made her give an interview before returning to work for the network. 

"Because there wasn’t an arrest, because we didn’t know where this happened, my bosses at ESPN told me, 'before you go back on air for college football we need you to give a sit-down interview.' And that was the only way I was going to be allowed back." 

ESPN suggested that Erin have the interview on Good Morning America, given the network's corporate ties with ABC, but she decided to go with Oprah instead. 

"They were highly recommending it be GMA, because ESPN and ABC are the same, and they wanted it on GMA. But like my dad had said the other day, I didn’t want it to be a two second thing where it’s like, “Was this a scandal, or, was it not?” No, this is my life, and I feel terrible about myself, and we want to figure out how this happened. So, I didn’t want to do it, I didn’t want to be a part of it, and I just said, you know what, “I know because she’s very public about it, Oprah is a crime victim.” I talked to her producers, I told her I didn’t want to do it. But this was the only way I was going to be put back on air, so we went to the Oprah show." 

The announcement of Andrews' return to ESPN came on the same week as the air date of her interview on Oprah

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[via BuzzFeed News]

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