DJ in Taylor Swift Groping Trial Defends ‘Weird, Awkward’ Photo
The former Colorado radio DJ who lost his lawsuit against Taylor Swift over charges that he groped the singer at a meet-and-greet defended himself on Good Morning America Tuesday just days after a Denver jury sided with the pop star in a civil trial. “I didn’t do what they say I did,” said David Mueller. “I didn’t do it. I never grabbed her. I never had my hand under her skirt, and I can pass a polygraph.”
The trial centered around a 2013 meet-and-greet, during which Swift claimed Mueller reached under her skirt at a backstage photo-op and grabbed her butt. Mueller sued Swift in 2015, claiming the accusations were false and cost him his job. A month later, Swift countersued Mueller for assault and battery. After a six-day trial, during which Swift testified, the jury rejected Mueller’s lawsuit and ordered the DJ to pay Swift a symbolic $1.
One of the few pieces of evidence in the trial was a picture from the photo-op obtained by TMZ that showed Mueller standing next to Swift with his hand behind her and below her waist. During the trial, Mueller acknowledged the photograph looked “weird and awkward,” but insisted it was because he was rushing into the picture last minute. He reiterated that claim on GMA, saying, “I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t invited to be in the photo so I just moved into the shot as best I could.”
Mueller also said he did not sue Swift because he wanted a quick payout. Instead, he said, he hoped to obtain a note that might have made it easier for him to find a new job. “I asked for something in writing, which stated that there was a misunderstanding, and I can take that to possibly convince someone at a radio station to hire me,” Mueller said.
Good Morning America also reported that Mueller is considering filing an appeal.
Following the end of the trial, Swift pledged to make donations to “multiple organizations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves.” She added in a statement, “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 organizations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves.”
Watch below: The jury in the Taylor Swift groping trial ruled in favor of the singer and her mother Monday, awarding Swift her $1 countersuit against the radio DJ.