This is a courtroom sketch of Taylor Swift by courtroom sketch artist Jeff Kandyba. The state of Colorado hasn’t allowed cameras inside the trial for Taylor Swift’s groping-DJ case. Jezebel asked who this drawing looked like and I still can’t decide. It’s Taylor-esque and once you know it’s supposed to be Tay, you can’t unsee it. But it still looks like somebody else as well. I actually hope this drawing is the wake-up call Taylor needed to grow out those bangs – I don’t mind some face-framing fringe for her, but she’s gone all-in with too-thick bangs and they look awful.
Anyway, this case is about an incident in 2014 when a DJ named David Mueller allegedly groped Taylor Swift while they were backstage at one of her concerts. Taylor told his radio station what he did, and the radio station fired him, and Mueller sued Taylor and she sued him right back. This is what went down in the second day of court (the first day was jury selection):
On the second day of Taylor Swift‘s trial against former radio show host David Mueller for alleged sexual assault, the superstar was focused and calm as their lawyers presented opening statements to the jury panel. Swift’s attorney said Tuesday morning the “Shake It Off” singer is “taking a stand for all women” and that “this is a case of sexual assault in the workplace.”
The star’s mother, Andrea, became slightly emotional and dabbed at her cheeks during the opening statements. Andrea, who sat next to Swift in the courtroom, is also a co-defendant in the case.
“A woman is assaulted. She reports it and she gets sued … it doesn’t make sense,” added Swift’s lawyer. “She’s trying to tell people out there that you can say no when someone grabs you no matter who they are.”
Swift wore a black, long-sleeved dress over a T-shirt and had her hair pulled back into a low, neat bun. She also carried a small, leather handbag and had on her signature red lip. The Grammy winner, 27, remained stoic throughout the morning and occasionally bounced over to the fans in the courtroom gallery to acknowledge them. Mueller wore a gray suit and navy tie and mostly looked down at the desk in front of him. After opening statements, he was called to give his initial testimony.
Swift’s lawyer also told the jury panel — made up of two men and six women — that Swift told someone on her team, ‘Dude, that guy just grabbed my ass,’ right after the alleged incident in 2013. Swift pursed her lips and looked away as her lawyer recounted the episode.
On Monday, Swift was also reportedly in court for jury selection. A total of eight jurors were selected out of a group of 60. She also revealed in her countersuit that any money she wins will be donated to “charitable organizations dedicated to protecting women from similar acts of sexual assault and personal disregard.”
It’s no surprise that People Magazine is taking a very pro-Swifty tack, but it’s worth noting that Mueller also testified yesterday, and reportedly told the jury, “It’s a humiliating experience to be accused of something that despicable.” He also claims that he only touched Taylor’s “ribcage,” which… if you’ve seen the photo evidence, you know that he’s lying. You can read more about his testimony here.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
I tend to believe her since I doubt she wants to go through all this so publicly…but I think she’ll lose. These cases are notoriously hard to win.
I hope she wins too, but it probably will be very difficult to prove. Even the pic that’s out there doesn’t clearly show that he touched her under her skirt (as has been claimed), but it seems practically impossible that his hand is only on her ribcage.
Also, she looks super uncomfortable in the photo…but alas, images alone don’t always help people win cases.
I’d say her lawyers will serve more info than that picture.
I hope she wins.
He has clearly incriminated himself electronically thus necessitating his destruction of all of his devices with memory. Destroyed computer, phone and iPad that’s deliberate or hella bad luck
I do believe her and want her to win, I just hate her Swifty lies about doing this “for all women”. It’s for her not me. Anyway she has the money, the powerful attorneys and the little girl bangs, she is going to win hands down. Nobody plays the victim as well as Swifty (it’s her claim to fame) but she is a real victim here so I hope she does go “full Swifty”!
I HATE being touched by strangers whether men or women. I would find touching my ribcage as offensive as touching my butt. Keep your grubby hands off me!
Groping is not just touching your Butt though. It’s a lot worse than other touching in my opinion, from experience. Let’s just say they really reach and squeeze you know what they are aiming for. Every time I was groped it was the same. 3 different continents
Never caught and the time I was at work in Canada I didnt report maybe it was because I was at work that I felt intimidated
I also hate the “doing it for women” rhetoric Taylor is claiming. It’s about her not women. This wouldn’t have been known if the dj didn’t sue. But it is great that she reported him to his employer. Many women would just let it go.
I’m glad she reported it to his employer and I am glad he got fired. I don’t know why the hell men think they can touch women without consent. I hope he loses and is forced to pay her attorney fees.
Listen folks, going to trial for any reason is nerve wracking and miserable. She has better things to do with her time.
He sued her, leaving her no choice but to counter sue as a response. She is not the instigator here, and the picture doesn’t lie. He is clearly grabbing her ass. He probably does it so often to so many women, he doesn’t even pay attention to his own behavior. I know plenty of men like that.
And I cannot stand her generally speaking. Not a fan. But I am 100% with her in this.
Of course people mag is pro swifty…what do you expect? That they would be pro assault..the guy did it and is lying now…it’s obvious. Just touched her ribcage? He knows there’s a picture right
Right? Being pro swift in this scenario shouldnt be a negative thing especially when there is photo evidence
Yes, being against this predator shouldn’t be a matter of liking Swift or not. He assaulted someone and then sued HER. That’s messed up! Yes, if you assault someone on the job, expect to get fired.
He’s doing this to someone with tons of power, and there’s evidence. Imagine what he’s done to women in his life who have little power, with no evidence?
He’s also destroyed evidence (deleted texts and destroyed electronic devices). I hope they rule in her favor. This man scares me, he needs to be checked.
I just hate that the hate for Taylor can’t take a backseat in this kind of situation. Why the shade? I don’t get it and it’s distasteful.
Agree with all of you.
When I first moved to the U.S. I didn’t have much money, and desperately needed to work. I hadn’t been to college yet, thus had few job options, and so chose to work in retail…At FIVE different stores, I was both groped and harassed, maybe partly b/c my English wasn’t great, I was extremely young, and these men didn’t think I knew how to stick up for myself. What shocked me almost as much as this was the attitude of many of my female coworkers: no support, no sympathy, no advice. (One even snarled at me, “You really think you’re the ONLY girl who has gotten sexually harassed here? It’s ALL of us women, including ME. Get over yourself.” WTF? I guess that such female indifference/hostility hurt me more than all the groping and lewd suggestions put together.) Anyway, I finally reported one especially odiously, physically aggressive young man, only to find out that the manager was his best friend! Who actually told me to “either put up, put out, or shut up,” and laughed. Okay…Much as I needed the job, I just quit. I truly felt guilty, as if I’d somehow brought this on myself. At another job, a health food store, my already demeaning task was just to “look pretty” and stand at the front asking customers if they needed help finding things, and if they did, to direct them to other employees who spoke “normal English.” This lasted two weeks, since it was then that my boss told me I was being paid for basically nothing, so I owed him some (very specific) sexual favors. He told me this was “standard” for the U.S., that maybe foreigners didn’t understand, but this was the way the work world here was! His thinking I was THAT stupid was probably what enraged me most! When I finally got to college, a married professor–who infamously slept w many of his students–told me he’d raise my grade if I slept w him. Luckily, this time, I had women to turn to, since this had happened to so many who spoke up! It made a huge difference–he was turned down for tenure–since I realized that I wasn’t alone w my guilt and shame. Which is why I think it so important to report any harassment, and to help those being harassed: b/c there is strength in numbers, support, and empathy, and in justifiable anger. Even if sexually threatened/exploited women hardly know one another, they need to be listened to, and heard…One of the most divisive, isolating factors there is for most wronged, distressed people is shame, guilt, and the conviction that no one will listen to their stories or care. But if we keep quiet, nothing will be solved, and too few woman salvaged from a system that is so often controlled and patrolled by men. Not all men are predators, of course, but when they are, women are their target, and not just one but every one of us is vulnerable to it, so long as we care about each other. I don’t like Taylor at all, but I’m glad she’s speaking up and hope that the man is duly punished…She’s lucky, of course, to have the money, power, and fame that she does; very few of us have such good fortune on our side.
I really applaud what she’s doing, and that she’s not afraid to confront this issue. I think it could be empowering to other women.
That being said, she would be smarter to lay off the undertone of “rah rah, look at me being a great feminist! I’m doing this for women!” Especially given her history with feminism. Other people will make that argument for her, and it won’t seem so try hard. Let your actions speak for themselves.
I do agree, and I think back to when people were asking her to come out as anti Trump (especially around all the Pussy Gate stuff) and she stayed quiet. You can’t use feminism when it suits you.
I do think the premise of this however, is important. Even if he patted her on the arse, which a portion of men think would be fine, so long as it’s not a massive grope. Its playful, no malice intended etc etc.
I agree he definitely did it, exactly how she says it went down. I actually think she is taking a feminist action in pursuing this instead of settling, I just think it would be smarter for her not to call it out as such.
Remember that what her lawyer is saying is for the benefit of the judge and jury. Based on the jury selection questionnaire, presumably the jury are people who generally don’t follow gossip and don’t know much about Swift one way or the other, in other words unbiased. Her lawyer is trying to avoid the question of why she would be doing this- the other implication (one his lawyer might bring up?) is that she is doing it for publicity. So the jury won’t have the same background knowledge that say readers of this site have.
Anyways, just my two cents.
I hadn’t considered that and it’s definitely a good point. I didn’t close read and assumed it was a publicist released statement.
That’s an interesting analysis, because I was wondering why the lawyer said that.
It is an individual court case she is running, so on the one hand it doesn’t matter whether she is doing it for all women, or for all men made of cheese sitting on the moon, what matters are the facts of the case. But, if, as you said, the jury is going to question her possible motives, then “women everywhere rah rah rah” will help frame her in a positive light.
I think they may be looking for jurors without a common knowledge of Swift bc if Swift wins and they later find out her fan was a juror then there may be grounds for an appeal.
It sucks to be groped in the workplace. Hoping she wins here
It is regrettable that happened to her but I don’t know if they can use the workplace argument. It was a work “function” and it is not like she has to see him ever again or get stuck at her “workplace” with him, or he is hierarchically superior. That sucked, anyway.
I decided some time ago to take Krav Maga classes for self-defense. If any guy touches my body in a threatening, harassing way, I will protect myself.
They most certainly can use the workplace argument and he is the one who is bringing it up. It was in HIS workplace. HIS workplace had rules. HE broke the rules. As I said below, termination in such places usually occurs after multiple infractions resulting in prior discipline have taken place.
Great point @LP
In addition to what LP said this was at a big country radio station in Nashville. At this time she was living & working there and was still a country artist. She had worked with this station & DJ doing promo before and I think it would be very likely that she would be involved with them again.
This line of thinking hit me hard since there are so many times that I am at “work” but I am not in a office and am at a “function”. Others (my clients) don’t feel that they are work but I most definitely am & I act that way. It sucks to be sexually harassed at something like this & then have people point to the fact that it wasn’t a “workplace” and some could say that I didn’t seem at work (think schmoozing with clients after hours, ad execs, attorney’s having dinner with clients during a case, etc). Alcohol has been served at these functions & I don’t partake but that doesn’t stop my male clients from doing it & then using it as an excuse once they cross a line. That hurts but hearing a woman (like one of my friends) once claim that “what can I expect?” or “comes with the territory” with a shrug hit me deeper then the client that asked me for a sexual favor. And these dudes, once they cross the line at some function & “wouldn’t do it without the alcohol”, do treat you different at the office after. Maybe they still pursue you or, more likely, they are embarrassed & cut you down every opportunity they get after you “reject” them which in turn can lead to you being demoted, fired or quitting because you just didn’t “vibe with them anymore”. Then those comments & you quitting/being fired aren’t seen as sexual harassment but most certainly are. And only having to deal with a guy once or twice doesn’t matter- if they want then one visit can kill your reputation and/or career, just ask the women at Fox.
Why are they going for that? Does it matter in the american legal system if it was at work or in your free time? I mean her lawyers wouldnt mention it if they didnt have a strategy behind it.
My guess is it matters as to why they reported it to his radio station. Keep in mind that just because she doesn’t work in an office place doesn’t mean it is not work. Her work is different than most people’s. Imagine I am at a work happy hour and a sales person from another company grabs my ass. He is not my superior, I don’t have to see him everyday, but I’d argue it is still work related.
HE is the one who is making it about his workplace. He got fired for not following the employer’s rules. And yes, it does matter if it was in the workplace because workplaces have rules. We don’t know if this guy had priors and for a termination, there are usually prior infractions
@H: Obviously Taylor was at work but that does not mean that you will focus on that because it would obviously still illegal to do it outside of work.
@lightpurple: This makes it sound like Swifts people are saying it, thats why I mentioned it: Swift’s attorney said Tuesday morning the “Shake It Off” singer is “taking a stand for all women” and that “this is a case of sexual assault in the workplace.”
Its not so important I was just wondering why they are playing that angle but its probably for the jury.
I think they are bringing up the workplace angle bc he is suing her bc he was dismissed from his job as a result of this incident. By establishing that he did this during a work related event means that he would be subject to dismissal for this particular incident.
I’m thinking about the bigger picture, and it troubles me. Talk me down, LP!
Thinking about the implications of notifying a supervisor at a business (one you work at or not) that an employee assaulted you. Employee’s probably going to lose their job. That’s a financial loss. So could anyone whose been accused of assault while on the job could come back at the victim like this guy?
@Tiffany, usually not. The cause of action is usually against the employer. And going after the accuser can result in charges of retaliation, which in workplace situations can carry punitive damages – the victim doesn’t have to prove any harm, just that he retaliated in some way. Punitive damages can be as much as triple the cost of actual damages
So he still admits to touching her without her consent? ‘Just’ on her ribcage? Prob because he knows there is photo evidence and if he denies it outright he’ll lose.
even then his hand is clearly much lower in the photo! ugh..
Anatomy 101: our lungs are not in our butts.
Good for her.
I hope she win.
I believe her, and I’m rooting for her. But I find her lawyers statement about doing this for all women a little disingenuous. I don’t know if it’s because she’s never done anything that doesn’t benefit her image, but I can’t relate to her even if she does win. Women being assualted in the workplace is a serious and frequent issue, but I don’t think she can/should be representing us. This doesn’t mean I hope she doesn’t win, because I do.
I see your point, but I also think that it was important for Taylor to countersue and not settle the case. If a wealthy, powerful star like Taylor Swift can be assaulted by a relatively unknown radio guy during a work-related event, then it stands to reason that thousands of other women who complain of the same treatment in the workplace probably are telling the truth. And in that case then employers need to step up and make it crystal clear that this sort of behaviour is unacceptable and grounds for immediate termination. At a minimum people might realize that less powerful women would never have the resources to fight back like Taylor is, and that should be a HUGE problem in everyone’s eyes.
He is lucky this suit is only playing out in civil court. Unwanted touching of this kind could be considered criminal assault as well.
You don’t have to be a fan of hers to see from the photo that he clearly has his hand on or around her ass. He deserves all of this. Its gross.
What is the deal with these courtroom artists, some images never look like the subjects or are they encouraged to not draw a replica?
I guess that’s the talent level $53,000 a year buys you. To be fair some are good.
Well, she has been out of sight for a few months. Maybe she had some major plastic surgery that has changed her appearance such that the courtroom sketch is accurate.
The other person it looks like? Tori Spelling.
It looks like Luann from king of the hill
Fiorucci that’s amazing
Squee someone else figured that on another site, Jezebel? Too perfect right! No shade to Taylor or the artist. The mood is More important than perfect resemblance
I do children’s portraits as a part-time job and that is not a good portrait of Swifty. He’s off with her mouth and her jawline by a country mile. The hairs OK, but that the easiest part!
It is amazing actually how often one tiny little stroke can change a portrait from a good likeness to a completely different person.
Man his testimony is all over the place. I touched her rib cage. I had my hand on her butt during a picture. I taped my conversation with my boss about it. But then my computer was destroyed, I dropped my tablet, and lost my cell phone. (Seriously this is what he says)
Hespunds like a total fool…has he seen the picture we’ve all seen? He’s clearly touching her ass, not ribcage. And he accidently destroyed his laptop, iPad and phone..if this secret recording was important wouldn’t he try to hold on to it. Hope Taylor wins
I’m baffled at how he thinks he’s going to come out looking not terrible after this. Does he think it’s going to help his already ruined professional reputation?
He probably thought she’d settle to avoid the media circus, and he’d get a nice payday.
Hope she kick his behind, most women know that feeling and i am tired of ppl pretending its all an accident and we are just overdramatic
As much as I despise TS and her stupid shenanigans I hope this guy gets what he deserves, what a POS. Totally rooting for Taylor in this case.
This scum bag has changed his story like 7 times already throughout this whole thing, and has lost recordings between him and his bosses on multiple devices, if that doesn’t scream guilt then I don’t know what does. I think he thought She would quietly settle before this ever got to court. What disgusts me more is all the jokes I’ve read online , and even victim blaming , or excusing his behaviour because Taylor is disliked. Just reminds me of what happened to Amber Heard.
She desperately needs to switch up the hair before her next album promo. She looks so much better with longer, straighter, no bangs hair. Also, unbelievable that people are even questioning this case. Doesn’t the picture say it all? He’s clearly grabbing her ass in the picture. Shouldn’t that be case closed?
You have no right to touch another person in the workplace unless it is your job to do so (hair stylist, nurse, EMT, dental hygienist) and even then the right to do so is limited to the task at hand with the person’s consent. Doesn’t matter if it was her ribcage, butt, or foot. He had no right to touch her and the employer was responsible for guaranteeing her a safe space. He broke the rules, he suffered the consequences.
His testimony really solidified his guilt (I already thought he was guilty).. any audio evidence of him talking to his workplace about it was destroyed “on accident”, he blamed another coworker at one point, and he openly admits he has no idea why TSwift would make a false accusation. Idk how it took him this long to realize he’s an idiot who is in over his head with this. I hope TSwift wins and I hope this jerk never works again because of it.
Rita Ora. That’s who the sketch looks like.
ETA. http://celebmafia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/rita-ora-2015-vanity-fair-oscar-party-in-hollywood_1.jpg
Hahaha. I just said Tori Spelling.
My first thought too.
IMO he did it, thinking he’d have a great story to tell his bros and radio audience, framing it as a “whoops, guess what I did,” never thinking it would them bite him in the arse.
And for the statement, major eye roll. I’m ambivalent on Taylor Swift but she’s hardly the flag bearer for feminism.
I really really dislike this girl and her shenanigans but on this front I hope she wins and he doesn’t get away with this bullcr*p.
I hope she wins because this is gross.
However her lawyers statement made me roll my eyes. Swifty is no feminist. She’s a Swiftiest because her feminism only centers around her and her precious ego. And feminism was SO 2015 /s
Agree.
Ew dirty pervert. Ruin him, Tay!!
Khloe Kardashian … haha, her sketch looks like Khloe K.
I’m amazed at people who think this guy is innocent. First of all, Taylor did everything a victim is “supposed” to do. She told her security guard it happened immediately after the incident. She told his employer. There’s a picture. The guy has changed his story seven times. Destroyed potential evidence. And then claims he touched her ribs when the picture prove otherwise?
If that wasn’t enough, he has the nerve to say she was cold and stand offish. Yea maybe she was like that because you sexually assaulted her. What an a hole.
Also he’s suing her because she got him fired but in court he says he was going to get fired three days before the meet and greet.
Screw this guy. This was just an effort of an entitled man to publicly humiliate a woman for daring to speak up after she was assaulted.
Seriously? I haven’t seen that info before, I hope he gets trounced.
If I was in her situation I would want to report it, but would feel bad if someone lost their job over it.
If he was going to be fired anyway, he’s obviously after a payout, screw him.
No. You should not feel bad. There are rules. The person broke the rules and since it resulted in termination, it probably was not the first time that person broke that rule.
It was reported on twitter by a reporter inside the court house. I don’t see how providing that info would help his case unless he’s trying to prove he didn’t sexually assault her.
But the mind set you have is unfortunate. If you reported a person for assault and they lost their job, you should not feel bad one bit. They’re the reason why they lost their job. In this specific situation with Swift, my thought process is this: if he felt like he could grope Taylor without consent, then who knows what he’s done to other women who aren’t in as powerful position. And that’s why I think this case is so important.
I would feel badly too, Josie. Get educated, whatever. But not fired.
I wouldn’t feel bad at all, I’d be overjoyed if all employers took sexual assault seriously enough to fire gropers from their workforce. Less men would do it if they realised there are serious consequences for their actions, rather than just a symbolic slap on the wrist and a good chuckle with the bros by the water cooler later.
Educated? It’s the 21st century. Anyone working today in the western world has been taught from Kindergarten not to touch people’s private parts. Even Trump knew he wasn’t supposed to talk about pussygrabbing at work. He was wrong to think that it’s okay in a locker room, but…
It’s unlikely this is the first time this guy has crossed this particular line. Had he been disciplined earlier, perhaps it wouldn’t have happened so publicly this time.
I would only feel bad if he hurt some other woman worse out of anger for being Fired. FFS we are always tiptoeing around fragile toxic males. Like Margaret Atwood said…
I hope she wins,i believe her. but that opening statement from her lawyer lets you know in advance how this episode is going to be used by her pr team: she did this to stand for not just herself, but for all woman.
She should stick to the case and the facts and win it, no already be calculating how to use or will she will benefit from this afterwards.
It is a strategic ploy by her lawyer. He does not want jurors thinking wealthy, famous Taylor is out to destroy this obscure radio guy for no good reason.
I am reading from some they think it is wrong if he touched her rib cage, as he claimed, which by the way I don’t believe for one second as his hand is clearly behind her butt. But I was at a country fest a few years back with lots of meet n greets, and every time I put my arm around the singers waist for the pic, as they did to me as well, and that could certainly mean a hand on the rib cage. But all that aside, I think his testimony so far is damning for him and I am glad she’s going through this trial instead of just paying out, which no doubt is stressful and humiliating, and it does help support other women who have had the same experience. I mean just the fact she said he grabbed her bare ass mean they will probably have to talk about her undergarments. I was once at a bar & a guy reached behind me and grabbed my crotch, & a yelled so all could hear that he did it, and my boyfriend punched him in the face & knocked him out. It was an awful experience & it is hard to prove, even though you know beyond all doubt.
I think he definitely groped her and that photo, along with her testimony and the fact he’s changed his story multiple times, will probably help her win. I think he thought he would get a quick grab, then brag about it to his friends that he grabbed Taylor Swift’s butt. He didn’t count on getting called out for it, because he’s probably done it before and the women didn’t say anything.
Yeah, I imagine in his earlier years as a DJ it was a free for all. Sex, drugs and rock and roll. Some of those old perverts just have no idea how to behave around women who aren’t down to be assaulted in public.
Let’s not get confused by what is really happening here. She is seen as a snake for what happened last summer and that has not changed with time. So her publicist has been working hard to make her a martyr and a women’s champion to change public opinion. This case could have been handled differently, but her people have been working hard to milk this as much as possible. She is using this whole thing as damage control to rebrand.
Why do the comments from this person keep coming through?
Because I am not breaking rules, just expressing a different point of view. You know like the concept of innocent until proven guilty for both parties in this case. Something no one else seems to be doing apparently. Don’t like it, don’t read it.
Hope you’re never sexually assaulted and have someone accuse you of doing it for “rebranding” purposes. You do know that this assault happened in 2013, and the lawsuits started in 2015…. BEFORE last summer’s crapfest, right? I’m tired of Taylor Swift and I hate that I feel like I have to defend her.
And I’m not breaking any rules by saying your comments are gross af.
Madly, this is not a criminal case. The standard is NOT innocent until proven guilty. Depending on the laws of the jurisdiction, it could be a simple preponderance of the evidence that one or the other is LIABLE. Or it might be a clear & convincing standard. But nobody will be declared guilty or not guilty and the standard is not beyond a reasonable doubt.
So how could she have handled this differently when he was the one who sued her first?? She hasn’t been seen in months not really so it’s not like she is out here screaming about it, or do you think she should have settled, given him money?
Except her people are pushing this out there for publicity. If she wanted it more private, she could have done so. Her team elected to not do so.
Trials are NOT private. Court calendars are public records and courtrooms are rarely closed, except for some very sensitive issues involving children and local media outlets review court calendars daily
That is even too cynical for me. Sure she is a problematic hero but this is important on many levels. Even if it isn’t true that she is doing it for all women the fact is the result will matter. She didn’t hide and let it slide like so many women do because it feels like it is their own fault for some reason. Especially young girls and teenagers who make up the bulk of her fan base.
Something similar happened to me once when I was 17 and the person was supposedly fixing my clothing but it didn’t feel like that way. I was very green at the time and I didn’t say anything because I felt like it was my fault and I was being childish. I hadn’t even had a boyfriend yet, so I tried to excuse it as inexperience in my mind. Now, I see it was wrong and exploitative. If I could go back and do what Taylor is doing, I would in a second. No one gets a pass for unwanted touching. Period.
I’m not sure how she could have handled differently except to settle. Regardless of whether you believe her or not, if she believes that she was sexually assaulted, why on earth should she then have to pay the guy for sexually assaulting her? It sounds to me like the standard set for what she should do to not be seen as exploiting her sexual assault is unreasonably high.
Whatever the reason she’s not settling madly, going after a groper all the way is a good thing. Let’s stop letting them get away with these assaults.
Her hand and his in the photo are in the same spot, so did she touch his ass too? Photo is still inconclusive? How do we know if he was in mid movement to get to her back and did not touch her at all? Don’t rush to judgement until we hear all the evidence. Maybe he is guilty or maybe he is innocent and his career has been ruined over this.
Before someone is fired for something like this, the employer is required by law to conduct an investigation. I’m sure there’s way more we don’t know about in order for him to have gotten fired. I notice that he doesn’t have appeared to have sued his employer for wrongful termination, has he?
But that’s the essence of his case, and the reason he is suing. If I’m recalling correctly, he’s claiming his employer didn’t investigate thoroughly, their “investigation” consisted of talking to him, talking to Swift’s radio guy, and looking at the photo. That’s it. He’s also claiming his bosses got a call from Team Swift implying if he wasn’t fired the radio station would damage their working relationship with Swift and her team.
I agree the guy is super-sketchy, and I’m believing his version of events less and less the more I hear from him, but I also think it’s within the realm of possibility that Taylor’s management team decided to do everything within their power to see this guy got canned, including throwing their weight around with his employer. That skates right to the edge of tortious interference in my non-legal mind.
So by your own admission there are things about this case you do not know. That is my point. Wait for the evidence first.
And lol to your other comment.
Then he should be suing his employer, not Taylor Swift. Is there a lawsuit against the employer? As my husband (an attorney) said “First you sue the employer and if it is found to be wrongful termination, then you have that vindication in your pocket and have more of a leg to stand on to go after Swift.”
His contract had a morality clause, which seems to heavily favor the employer – it reads like they can fire him for anything they decide might reflect poorly on them, even if it’s just an allegation. That could be why he can’t sue them.
The wording of the morality clause is quoted in the judge’s order denying summary judgement and the whole document is an interesting read. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCOURTS-cod-1_15-cv-01974/pdf/USCOURTS-cod-1_15-cv-01974-6.pdf
For the record, I think Taylor absolutely did the right thing by reporting this incident to her and team and his employer, and I completely understand why she wouldn’t want it reported to the police and chose to deal with it discreetly. What I’m on the fence about is if her team over-reached their influence afterward and essentially coerced the radio station into firing him. They were pushing for the station to take action almost immediately.
@jetlagged, a workplace investigation rarely consists of more than talking to him, to her, anyone else who was there, and looking at available pictures. They aren’t going to dust her ass for fingerprints
You definitely have a Tumblr dedicated exclusively to Hiddleston, don’t you?
Nope, no tumblr sorry boo
Yeah it is. Good for her. I have no use for her music or her “squad,” but she’s right to pursue this as far as it can go.
Is this the right time to start an article by complaining about her bangs?
Madly says about Mueller: “Don’t rush to judgement until we hear all the evidence” but also says about Taylor: “her people have been working hard to milk this as much as possible. She is using this whole thing as damage control to rebrand”. Fact is you would NEVER be a juror on this case because you clearly are rushing to judgement. Facts of this case have been leaked, & based on what the public has heard so far, Mueller looks guilty. He lost many copies of his 2hr taped exit convo with his bosses but did manage to send 15 minutes of select parts to his lawyer before all copies were destroyed. The pic shows his hand behind her butt & her dress does not look like it’s hanging straight from the small bump near her waist on that same side. He was likely going to be fired anyway. And he’s even said another guy bragged about grabbing her ass earlier and somehow Taylor must have confused the two. All these facts make him look guilty.
Tsk tsk tsk, you are trying to twist things and compare apples and oranges. Her publicist has been seen at the courthouse, her team has been pushing a certain story to reframe this entire case in her favor for public opinion. That is a fact.
I have not touched on if she is lying, exaggerating or not because the case just started. The photo is taken from the front and there is no way to tell if he is physically touching her or not and is open to interpretation, ergo inconclusive. I am staying out of who is guilty of lying or not until the case has been hear and concluded as any juror is asked to do.
Looks like you understand very little.
Um, I’m no doctor, but even I know the human ribcage isn’t that low.
I AM a doctor and you are correct. LOL
She’s setting a great example for her young fans by sticking up for herself. It sends the message that no one can touch you without your consent, and if they do, you have every right to make some noise about it. It’s an important lesson for young women to learn.
Going through a trial just plain sucks, and I doubt this is the type of publicity she wants. You can say she’s doing it for herself all you want, but at the end of the day, she’s asking for A DOLLAR in damages and for anything else to go to charity. I applaud her for making the most of this unfortunate situation and using her stature to bring attention to this very prevalent issue.
I sort of eye rolled at the “for all women” part and I’m a Swift fan. But I hadn’t thought about the impression she’s setting for young fans about consentually contact. That’s a great point.
I eye rolled the demure outfit.
Yes inappropriate touching is wrong. I believe this jerk groped her. But I don’t buy that by taking him to court is claiming her power and being the voice for all sexually abused woman. Claiming her power would have been calling him out immediately when he groped her. Her bodyguards were in the room, they would have been on this guy in a second. Instead she ran to her mom and they decided not to call the police because they were worried about the PR angle.
Isn’t that her right to decide whether or not she wanted this incident made public, for PR purposes or because she was embarrassed/shaken/not interested in discussing it publically? She immediately stuck up for herself by informing his place of employment and seeing that he was removed, which is what women are encouraged to do when dealing with harassment in the workplace. When this jerk sued her, she could’ve paid him to make it go away, but instead she countersued and is taking him to task on a very public platform. This clearly isn’t how she wanted things to play out, but now that it is, she’s using her star power for good. Dislike her all you want for other shiftiness she has displayed, but I can’t think of a single spin in which I do not support her on this one.
Meh. I’m not a Swifty stan or Swifty hater. But I did read she’s only asking for $1 (TMZ). If that’s true, I think she is just trying to make a point, and as someone who’s been groped and raped, I approve. She doesn’t want the money, she just wants him humiliated (well, he sued her first). So good for her on this one.
I am sorry you were assaulted. I hope you are doing ok now. I support her in this. Hopefully, it will send a message to people who think it is fine to grope someone.
This guy is disgusting.
I’m not a fan but I support her all the way in this trial. This jerk is the epitome of male privelege. He grabs her, she complains about it, and then she’s the one sued? Now, he’s finding all sorts of ways twist it so that he’s the victim, saying it was her fault, she’s being mean to him, etc. It’s all so Trumpian. Sadly, he might just win because America is in such shitty state of mind right now. I bet there’s some jurors who are like, she should be flattered that he grabbed her butt, and no way should a man lose his job for nothing. At least, she’s putting up a fight. She could have paid him off and made it all go away. Going to court is no fun.
Has he been found guilty yet?
I believe her, and I hope she wins.