DENVER, CO (CelebrityAccess) — Taylor Swift was back in the spotlight this week, but not for her music. Instead, she was testifying in a civil trial in Denver, brought by a country music DJ who claimed Swift cost him his job when she accused him of groping her.
Swift claims the that the alleged groping took place in 2013, while she was in Denver to perform a sold-out show at the Pepsi Center as a part of her Red Tour. Before the show, she hosted a meet-and-greet backstage and it was then that Swift claims she was approached by David Mueller, then a host for Denver’s country station KYGO, who wanted Swift to take a photo with he and his girlfriend at the time. Swift alleges that when she posed for the photo, Mueller lifted her dress and groped her.
“Right as the moment came for us to pose for the photo, he took his hand and put it up my dress and grabbed onto my ass cheek and no matter how much I scooted over it was still there,” Swift said in a deposition. “It was completely intentional, I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.”
Swift reported the incident to her photographer, tour manager and a member of her security team, who claim they spoke to Mueller, who refuted Swift's claim. However, the alleged interaction cost Mueller his job at KYGO and a salary of about $150,000.
In 2015, Mueller filed a lawsuit against Swift, alleging slander and said that she got him fired when he didn’t do anything wrong. He alleged that his radio station boss was actually the one who touched Swift. Mueller is reportedly seeking $3 million in damages.
“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,” reads his lawsuit.
While a judge rejected Mueller's slander claim, Mueller was allowed to proceed with his allegation of “tortious interference,” in which he claims Swift tried to get him fired by accusing him of behavior that violated the morality clause of his employment contract.
Swift counter-sued, accusing Mueller of assault and battery. Swift is seeking $1 million in damages, but says that if she wins, the funds will go to charities “dedicated to protecting women from similar acts of sexual assault and personal disregard.”
Swift took the stand on Thursday, asserting that there was no question that she was groped and that the groping was intentional. She also suggested that Mueller was trying to evade responsibility for his actions.
“I’m being blamed for the unfortunate events of his life that are a product of his decisions. Not mine,” Swift said during her testimony, according to the New York Times.
Swift's testimony was contentious at times and she appeared to spar with Mueller's attorney Gabriel McFarland on multiple occasions. At one point, McFarland asked her why, in the photo of her and Mueller, the hem of her skirt does not appear to be pushed up in the front, she replied: “Because my ass is located on the back of my body.”
In another instance, when McFarland asked if there had been more than one incident where Mueller touched Swift inappropriately, she laced some sarcasm into her reply, telling McFarland: “Other than grabbing my ass against my will, underneath my skirt, and refusing to let go, he did not otherwise touch me inappropriately.”
