Aine O’Neill has filed a solo lawsuit against Apple after abandoning her Hollywood ambitions over an alleged AirTag stalking ordeal that drove her back to Ireland.
The Irish TV host, who was pursuing acting work in Los Angeles, claims a hidden AirTag was planted under her vehicle in November 2022 and that both Apple and police told her little could be done without the physical device, according to court papers. O’Neill, who had been seeking a recurring role on ABC’s “The Rookie” among other opportunities, ultimately sold her car for scrap and fled the country.
The lawsuit states O’Neill received an AirTag alert on her phone and enlisted her roommate to help search for the tracking device, but neither could locate it. She then learned the AirTag’s owner could monitor her locations, including her workplace and her home.
She contacted the Los Angeles Police Department and Apple, yet both indicated their hands were tied without the actual tracker, the suit says. Officers reportedly told her that “there’s no way this is anything but sinister.”
O’Neill took her car to Pep Boys, where crews also failed to find the device. A second auto shop informed her that a full teardown of the vehicle would be required at a cost she could not afford, according to the filing.
“Ms. O’Neill found herself barely able to get out of bed,” the lawsuit states. “She was constantly scared, peering out through her blinds, and leaving lights on in her apartment throughout the night.”
The court papers continued: “She would get daily panic attacks whenever her roommate left the apartment and she was alone.”
O’Neill called out sick from work and cancelled all appointments as the alerts persisted. She determined she had “no way of identifying her stalker or properly gauging the level of danger she was in,” prompting her decision to leave Los Angeles entirely.
“I don’t even remember getting on the plane back to Ireland,” she said in the suit. “I felt like a zombie, like I wasn’t in my own body.”
She grabbed what belongings she could, gave up on her potential role in “The Rookie” and other projects, and returned to Ireland. The lawsuit notes she remains afraid to drive.
O’Neill was previously part of a class action suit against Apple over AirTag stalking concerns, but has since broken off to pursue her own individual case against the tech giant. She is seeking damages to be determined at trial.
The California Post contacted Apple for comment.