NEW YORK (AP) — The New York City woman vilified for suing her 12-year-old nephew over a broken wrist she suffered when he jumped in her arms to greet her four years ago says she was “never comfortable” with the lawsuit.
Jennifer Connell appeared Thursday on NBC’s “Today” show along with her nephew, Sean Tarala. She said she wanted her nephew’s parents’ homeowners insurance to pay her medical bills, but under Connecticut law she could only sue an individual.
“An individual has to be named, and in this case, because Sean and I had this fall together, I was informed that Sean had to be named. I was never comfortable with that,” Connell said.
A jury this week rejected Connell’s $127,000 suit.
Connell said she broke her wrist when the boy jumped into her arms at his 8th-birthday party at his family’s home in Westport, Connecticut, causing her to fall. Her attorneys say she filed suit after her nephew’s parents’ insurance company offered her $1 over the accident.
Connell said she was shocked by the backlash, which included her vilification on social media as a terrible aunt, the most hated woman in America and an awful human being.
