Kelly Andrade, a 25-year-old live-in nanny, was awarded $2.78 million in compensation after her billionaire boss Michael Esposito secretly filmed her at his New York home. According to the New York Post, Andrade, a Colombian native, was living with Esposito’s family and caring for their four children. But her job was suddenly over when she discovered a hidden camera in her bedroom smoke detector. The surprising episode came to light in 2021.
Andrade’s suspicions arose after she noticed Esposito frequently changing the position of her smoke detectors. Her worst fears were realized when she discovered hidden cameras in the house and memory cards with hundreds of recordings, many of which captured her in private moments of being naked or getting dressed. Within minutes of her finding the devices, Esposito showed up at her house. Fearing for her safety, she escaped through a window when he returned home and began banging on the door.
“When he got home he seemed very nervous and very anxious,” she recalled.
Esposito was arrested on a charge of unlawful surveillance, which carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, but was released after agreeing to two years of probation and counseling. A Manhattan jury awarded Andrade $780,000 in emotional damages to Esposito and his wife, Danielle, and $2 million in punitive damages to Esposito.
Speaking to the Post, the nanny said: “Considering what I’ve been through over the last three years, this is not enough. It’s not enough. I was angry because the damage he’d done to me was irreparable.”
After enduring such a traumatic experience, she is now focused on healing and moving forward. The Columbia native, who lives in New Jersey with her husband, reflected on the grueling trial process, saying it forced her to “relive” painful memories she had tried to forget. By sharing her story, she hopes to ensure no one has to suffer in silence and that perpetrators are held accountable for their actions.
