Brooke Hundley, Steve Phillips' Mistress, SUES ESPN

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A former ESPN production assistant whose affair with broadcaster Steve Phillips led to their firings has filed a lawsuit against the sports network saying it defamed her.

The lawsuit by 23-year-old Brooke Hundley, filed Tuesday in Stamford Superior Court, says ESPN defamed her by firing her based on false statements by Phillips and by claiming she had not fully cooperated with its investigation.

Hundley, who was hired by ESPN in 2008 and paid $10.96 per hour, said Phillips made false statements to police in Connecticut portraying her as a danger to his family and himself as an innocent victim. She said Phillips falsely claimed he had been trying to end their relationship.

Hundley says she fully cooperated with ESPN's investigation. She has said she confronted Phillips' wife only so he would stop pursuing her.

She accused ESPN of acting maliciously to insulate itself from liability for Phillips' conduct.

Hundley, who is seeking more than $15,000 in damages, said she lost her job, subsequent job opportunities, damage to her reputation and has been harassed by the public as a result of the publicity.

Hundley in April filed a complaint with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities claiming she was fired for reporting Phillips sexually harassed her.

ESPN said Hundley's claims are without merit. The Connecticut-based network said its investigation found Hundley's characterization of the events inconsistent.

"Hundley's claims are without merit and we will vigorously defend against them," ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said. "Her current charges do not accurately portray ESPN's handling of the matter."

Phillips acknowledged his relationship with Hundley.

His representative, Steve Lefkowitz, said Phillips was focused on getting his life and career back on track. Lefkowitz said he's known Phillips for more than a decade and said he would not lie to authorities.

Phillips and Hundley were fired in October.

Comments

[sarasoccer]

09:13 AM on 07/16/2010

ESPN, where sexism is par for the course. I fully can see the possibility that ESPN fired her for reporting sexual harrassment.

[mountainweb]

09:36 PM on 06/13/2010

Every since Tiger Woods, its amazing how many women see being a mistress as the path to big money..

[TheLightFantastic]

03:46 PM on 06/13/2010

I don't get women, or people in general for that matter, like this. If you were bold enough to disrespect someone's marriage, be bold enough to deal with the inevitable fall-out that comes when the proverbial do-do hits the fan.

[Hollywoodian]

03:26 PM on 06/13/2010

As always, the celebrity cheater can do no wrong while the other woman is ostracized.

[Imhotep40]

11:25 PM on 06/13/2010

You do understand the reason this story even made it to this blog for your comment?

Let's just say it has nothing to do with the "other woman" who's not a "celebrity" . . .

[MyNameIsJames]

09:37 AM on 06/14/2010

Nope its about two consenting adults -- who is to blame? Both- one cannot sue another when both decided to engage in this behavior

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

01:14 PM on 06/13/2010

So she's a willing participant.... and now needs some cash huh? I wish there were companies out there that NEVER settled and then sued people like this for attorneys fees, etc. It would stop some of these frivilous suits. This one is just pathetic. Are ALL mistresses going to sue everyone they can now? Because they're some type of victims?

[LeftRightLeftRight]

09:38 AM on 06/13/2010

..and somewhere in the middle lies the truth.

Sorry...no sympathy for anyone here except for Phillips family. Maybe they should sue the both of them.

[HDR]

07:37 AM on 06/13/2010

I love the part about the lawyer/friend vowing that Phillips wouldn't lie to authorities. His wife, sure? But to authorities, no way!

[thinkingwomanmillstone]

08:20 AM on 06/14/2010

Agree. He lied to ESPN. He lied to his wife. Ergo, why wouldn't he lie to authorities? If she was fired because of Phiilips' testimony, then she has a case. He has proven himself a liar. She is suing for $15,000 which seems to be a reasonable amount for losing a job based on false testimony. If she was fired for other reasons, then they should have documentation to that effect and the whole thing should go away.

[HDR]

07:32 AM on 06/13/2010

She's suing because she DID sleep with a married man?!

[oceanofconsciousness]

02:19 PM on 06/12/2010

$15,000? That's it? Lawyers alone will eat that up. Makes no sense.

[R U Sirius]

01:58 PM on 06/12/2010

If you had asked anyone with any sense, you'd have realized that would happen, dear.

[Chris202]

08:36 AM on 06/12/2010

Didn't she "defame" herself by having an affair with a married man, contacting his wife, etc.? I guess as long as they can see $ somewhere, they don't care. I wish all of these mistresses would go away!

[RNAngel20]

08:12 AM on 06/12/2010

Maybe she should have thought about her reputation before sleeping with this guy.

[Enigma2008]

06:21 PM on 06/11/2010

What is the masculine for mistress?

[HDR]

07:39 AM on 06/13/2010

Just plain ol' "adulterer".

[Niasia]

03:19 PM on 06/11/2010

I thought mistresses were supposed to be attractive at least.

[Chris202]

08:38 AM on 06/12/2010

Not often. It's more important to these men that when they look in the mistress's eyes, they seem themselves reflected as some sort of god. That's why affairs aren't "relationships" because there is only one person, with a huge ego, in the mix.

[Uproar]

10:00 AM on 06/12/2010

you hit the nail ont he head!

[wmramlal]

07:04 PM on 06/12/2010

Niasia

In most instances the men are thinking with the little head and are on a ego trip.

For some as long as the equipment is functional, they could care less about the packaging.

[boyblu95843]

12:37 PM on 06/11/2010

They should be sued for paying $10.96 an hour. Holy cow!

[Yg Bluig]

08:36 PM on 06/12/2010

No kidding! I don't know what is more outrageous, that they don't pay their behind-the-scenes people a living wage or the the millions they pay their no-talent on-air personalities for saying "backbackback" and "boo-yah!" 80 times a telecast.