Taylor Swift wins assault trial against sacked DJ David Mueller
Taylor Swift has vowed to assist other victims of sexual assault after a jury decided she was groped by a radio host before a concert.
The US singer hugged her crying mother on Monday after jurors found DJ David Mueller grabbed Swift’s backside during a backstage meet-and-greet in 2013.
The legal battle, which led to the week-long trial at a court in Denver, Colorado, was sparked when Mueller attempted to sue Swift, her mother Andrea and an aide for up to $3m (£2.3m).
He claimed he had been slandered and had his career ruined after Swift’s mother and the aide contacted his bosses about the allegation, following which he was sacked.
Swift, who was brought to tears at points during the trial, counter-sued Mueller in the civil case for a symbolic $1 (77p) and the chance to stand up for other women.
After the jury delivered their verdict, Swift thanked her legal team “for fighting for me and anyone who feels silenced by a sexual assault”.
She described the two-year legal process and four years since the assault as an “ordeal”.
In a statement, the pop star added: “I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this.
“My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard.
“Therefore, I will be making donations in the near future to multiple organisations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves.”
The jury, made up of six women and two men, also found Swift’s mother and the aide were within their rights to contact Mueller’s bosses about the assault allegation.
Before the trial’s closing arguments, the judge had thrown out the Denver-based DJ’s case against Swift but allowed the assault allegation to continue being considered.
Last week, Swift spent an hour on the witness stand in which she described the “despicable and horrifying and shocking” episode.
She told the court: “He stayed attached to my bare ass-cheek as I lurched away from him.
“It was a definite grab. A very long grab.”
Mueller told jurors he may have made innocent physical contact with Swift, but he denied groping her.
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