When Jennifer Connell’s overzealous nephew gave her a hug, she had no idea that it would eventually cause her to become the most hated woman in America...
Bad Aunt
54-year-old Jennifer Connell made national headlines after issuing a lawsuit against her nephew for an incident that occurred four years earlier. She claimed she wasn’t after money, despite the $127,000 she was seeking to win from 12-year-old, Sean Tarala. At the time of the incident, he was only eight...
What Happened?
Connell was shocked by her demonization in the media, insisting that she adored her nephew. “I would never want to hurt him. He would never want to hurt me,” she said.
The story of Connell’s dispute blew up online after she informed a court in Bridgeport, Connecticut about what, exactly, had occurred at Sean’s birthday party four years ago...
Too Much Enthusiasm
Connell lived on E. 73rd St. on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York. She had no children of her own—which perhaps helps clarify her reaction to Sean's enthusiastic hug as she entered his home in Westport, Connecticut. Four years later, Connell claimed her nephew was acting excessive and unreasonable when he leaped into her arms, thrilled to see his aunt for the first time in months.
Excited to See Her
On March 18, 2011, Connell arrived at the Tarala household to attend Sean’s eighth birthday party. According to her testimony, Sean had received a two-wheeler bicycle as a gift. He was elated, riding the bright-red bike around the house. The moment Sean saw Connell, he leaped off the bicycle and into her arms.
Auntie Jen
The bicycle clattered to the ground as Sean exclaimed, “Auntie Jen, Auntie Jen!” Then, without a moment to prepare, Sean was airborne. The 50-pound boy bowled Connell over and the pair tumbled to the ground.
“I remember him shouting, ‘Auntie Jen I love you,’ and there he was flying at me,” she said.
Seriously Injured
Although Connell believed she was injured, she did not mention it at the time, later claiming to a jury that she wanted to avoid upsetting the child at his own birthday party.
Apparently, Sean’s gesture of “youthful exuberance” was so fervent that he managed to knock Connell to the ground, causing the 54-year-old to break her wrist.
Life Was Harder
As the days went on, Connell felt like her life had been totally upended. Connell lived in a third-story walk-up; she alleged that the injury made traveling to and from her apartment “very difficult” due to the Manhattan crowds.
Was She Really Suffering?
She found that the injury had impacted her ability to socialize, as well, explaining to a jury, “I was at a party recently, and it was difficult to hold my hors d’oeuvre plate.” Connell felt that her young nephew should have known better than to give her such a forceful hug.
Connell's Argument
After years of supposed suffering, Connell filed a $127,000 lawsuit against her nephew for damages that ensued after his reckless and powerful hug. The suit stated:
“The injuries, losses, and harms to the plaintiff were caused by the negligence and carelessness of the minor defendant in that a reasonable eight-year-old under those circumstances would know or should have known that a forceful greeting such as the one delivered by the defendant to the plaintiff could cause the harms and losses suffered by the plaintiff.”
Grieving Boy
As the family sat in court, Sean, then 12 years old, appeared genuinely confused about the circumstances. He sat beside his father, Michael Tarala. His mother, Lisa Tarala, had died one year earlier. Regardless of the boy’s personal traumas, Connell insisted on pursuing the case.
Held Accountable
Connell stood before Judge Edward Stodolink and testified that she loved her nephew, but believed he was responsible for the injury that prevented her from holding hors d’oeuvre platters, and therefore needed to be held accountable for his actions.
They Made a Decision
She described Sean as always being “very loving, sensitive” toward her. The jury didn’t deliberate for long. After only 25 minutes, they reached a unanimous verdict...
Cyberbullied
Connell’s case was dismissed, but not without a price. Connell exited the courtroom to find that her story had taken the Internet by storm. People on social media had begun to hail the 54-year-old as the “Auntie Christ" and "#auntfromhell.”
The Media Was Dishonest
Despite the criticism regarding her decision to sue her young nephew who had just lost his mother, Connell fought against the backlash. She felt it was necessary to explain what really went on behind the scenes...
The Expenses Were Piling Up
Long before the trial, Connell had contacted her insurance company to cover the medical bills stemming from her injury. At that point, she had undergone two surgeries and might have even been facing a third.
One Dollar
Her insurance company countered with a number so low that Connell thought they were joking. The company was willing to offer her approximately $1 to help with expenses. All Connell wanted was for the Taralas’ home insurance company to cover her medical bills—not to hurt her family in a time of hardship.
She Wasn't in It for the Money
The online abuse was “painful” for Connell, who saw that people were jumping on the hate train without understanding the facts of the case. “I’m certainly not trying to retire to some villa in the south of France,” she said. “I’m simply trying to pay off my medical bills.”
Defending Auntie Jen
Although many people thought that Connell’s seemingly absurd lawsuit would cause a rift between herself and Sean, they were mistaken. Sean came forward to defend his aunt against the animosity...
It Wasn't Her Fault
Sean went on the TODAY show with his aunt to prove that she never meant to cause any harm. Sitting side by side with Connell, Sean said, “She would never do anything to hurt the family or me. I love her and she loves me.”
Restructuring the Narrative
Connell may have been dubbed the “worst aunt ever” by the Internet, but she never wanted to irreparably damage her reputation. She felt she had been unfairly demonized after taking legal action and did her best to set the record straight.
Just a Formality
Connell asserted that the case was no more than a legal formality with the insurance claim—she was simply following the legal advice offered to her by the firm. From the outset, Connell said that she couldn’t understand why she needed to sue her nephew, but her lawyers insisted it was the only way for insurance to cover her medical expenses. However, this begs the question: why hadn’t she just sued the company, instead?
Bending to the Law
Due to Connecticut law, the homeowner's insurance company could not be identified as the defendant. Connell’s lawyers also came to her defense, stating that she was incredibly reluctant to pursue the case in the first place, but in the end, she had no choice but to sue the minor directly. Otherwise, she would have gone bankrupt.
She Just Followed Advice
Connell repeatedly stated that she never intended to hurt her nephew or his father. The case was meant to be a simple matter of homeowner's insurance, but her lawyers advised her to word the suit in this specific way since she was unable to file a suit against the company itself.
Unfortunately, the decision backfired tremendously, leaving Connell at the center of what appeared to be a heartless scandal.
Struggling with the Healthcare System
“From the start, this was a case… about one thing: getting medical bills paid by homeowner’s insurance,” read a statement from law firm Jainchill and Beckert. “Our client was never looking for money from her nephew or his family. It was about the insurance industry and being forced to sue to get medical bills paid.”
That being said, the firm still expressed that they were far from pleased with the case’s outcome—especially the way Connell was being portrayed in the media.
Flimsy Argument
Connell’s lawyer William Beckery told the newspaper that Connell took no pleasure in suing her nephew, but believed that he “should have known better.”
Sean’s lawyer, Thomas Noniewicz, said what everyone else was thinking: “Kids should be kids. He was an 8-year-old boy being an 8-year-old boy… Sean was not negligent.”
Blame the Insurance Company
Connell said she and her nephew were equally confused as to why she had to sue him in the first place. “I just feel that perhaps it’s the way the legal system is set up, so the insurance companies aren’t necessarily in the spotlight for stepping up and taking responsibility for handling claims [on] properties,” she said.
Angry at the Wrong People
After Connell and Sean appeared on the TODAY Show, it appeared that all the social media fracas over the lawsuit may have been misplaced. People online were particularly struck by one particular comment Connell made during the trial…
Distorted by the Media
When asked to describe how the injury had impacted her social life, it seemed like some people didn’t think Connell’s hors d’oeuvres plate incident helped to mitigate the irrationality of her claim. The entire debacle was simply another instance of Twitter and the media blowing one small piece of a story out of proportion.
Victim of Cyberbullying
In the suit between Jen Connell and Sean Tarala, the only guilty party was the American healthcare system. If Connell’s pathetic $1 insurance claim had been mentioned in articles detailing the event, perhaps she would not have become the victim of severe online bullying.
Family Bonds
In the end, Connell and her nephew were able to reconcile their differences—not that there were really any ones in the first place. Reportedly, after losing the case, Connell took Sean shopping for Halloween costumes. Maybe they were able to hug it out.