Taylor Swift expected to testify against ex-DJ in groping trial
Pop mega-star Taylor Swift, 27, is expected to appear in a federal Denver courtroom on August 7 to testify in her sexual assault lawsuit lodged against former DJ David Mueller, who Swift claims put his hand under her dress and grabbed her bare bottom four years ago while the two were doing a promotional photo shoot leading up to one of her concerts. Following those groping allegations, Mueller was terminated from his disc jockey job at station KYGO-FM in Colorado. Two years after his firing, the 55-year-old DJ sued Swift for $3 million saying that he was falsely accused and that Swift’s claims against him irreparably damaged his career, according to Reuters.
Mueller, who was earning approximately $150,000 annually from KYGO-FM was the first to sue. Swift countered with her own lawsuit against Mueller claiming assault and battery. Those two dueling lawsuits are being rolled up together in the same jury trial. Jury selection begins today in Denver. The now infamous photo shoot went down on June 2, 2013,
Reuters quoted a portion of the singer’s deposition when she claimed: “It was not an accident, it was completely intentional, and I have never been so sure of anything in my life.” Mueller claims to be innocent of those charges. Reuters shared a portion of his lawsuit against Swift: “The contention that Mr. Mueller lifted up Ms. Swift’s skirt and grabbed her bottom, while standing with his girlfriend, in front of Ms. Swift’s photographer and (her) highly trained security personnel … is nonsense.” KYGO-FM conducted its own investigation into Swift’s allegations and on June 4, 2013, fired Mueller for violating the morality clause of his contract.
At the heart of the controversy between Swift and Mueller is that photograph from that 2013 photo shoot showing “David Mueller with his right hand behind the singer, just below her waist, before a 2013 concert. It’s inconclusive whether he’s touching her. Both are smiling,” according to ABC News. That photo was originally published by TMZ and has since been sealed by the court. We fully expect that photo to come up during the trial.
Immediately following the photo shoot, ABC quotes Swift as saying “He took his hand and put it up my dress and grabbed onto my ass cheek.” Swift immediately complained to security personnel on the scene and the photographer regarding the alleged sexual assault. Mueller reportedly told security to go ahead and call the cops, saying that he didn’t grab the singer.
BuzzFeed News reported court documents attributing Swift as saying that she wants to “serve as an example to other women who may resist publicly reliving similar outrageous and humiliating acts. She also plans on donating any money she wins to nonprofits that are “dedicated to protecting women from similar acts of sexual assault and personal disregard.”
Written by: Ace News Today Staff
