A jury sided with Taylor Swift in a trial that would determine whether former DJ David Mueller had groped the star in a meet and greet session.
Swift’s victory was not about money. The star won just $1 in the verdict. The victory was a message that women should stand up against sexual assault.
The pop star was visibly emotional when Gabriel MacFarland delivered his closing argument that Swift’s face in the photo was not the face of a woman who had just been groped.
Following the victory, Swift released a statement to E!News.
“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,” said Swift. “My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard. Therefore, I will be making donations in the near future to multiple organizations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves.”
The publicized case included four days of testimony from Swift’s former bodyguard Greg Dent, Andrea and the singer herself.
Mueller’s team questioned Dent about why he did not step in to protect Swift. Dent told the jury, “I looked at her to see if she was looking at me and wanted me to move in and she proceeded with the picture,” he said.
Mueller was escorted out of the arena after the groping incident and fired two days later.
Two years later, Mueller sued Andrea Swift and Frank Bell for $3 million in damages, blaming Taylor Swift for his ruined career.
Taylor Swift responded with a countersuit for assault and battery for a symbolic $1.
The singer was dismissed from Mueller’s lawsuit after the judge found that his legal team could not prove Swift had anything to do with his firing.
Jurors also dismissed Mueller’s claims that Frank Bell and Andrea Swift cost him his job.
