In 2013 Taylor Swift first accused David Mueller of sexually violating her.
On August 8, 2017, the trial began.
The event transpired at a meet and greet in which Taylor agreed to take a photograph with Mueller. When the photo was taken, Swift was assaulted, claiming that Mueller had put his hand under her dress, grabbing her buttocks. The incident threw Swift into shock, yet she continued the photo op for her remaining fans. Roughly fifteen minutes after the photo Swift reacted, resulting in her security escorting Mueller off of the premises.
The accusation naturally created controversy, leading to Mueller’s eventual termination from his position at KYGO, the radio station he hosted. Two years later he responded. Mueller filed for legal action, stating that Swift’s faulty claims led to his unjust dismissal. The entire situation hinges on the photograph taken as it is the only objective evidence besides each individual’s verbal testimony.
Mueller cites the photo, claiming that Swift’s dress is undisturbed and that it would have been if the accusations were true. His secondary defense references the security that was in place on that night, suggesting that Swift’s team would have intervened before the photo had been taken if that was the case.
The photo capturing the incident
Swift, on the other hand, has decided to maintain her defense, issuing her own counterclaim against Mueller for Assault and Battery. Her requested reparations? One single dollar. Swift obviously isn’t embarking on this journey for the reward or the fame, but instead, is using the opportunity to solidify the truth that she was sexually assaulted. In fact, when filing the claim against Mueller, the award amount was referenced, stating that she hoped the trial would be “an example to other women who may resist publicly reliving similar outrageous and humiliating acts”.
On August 10 both Taylor and her mother, Andrea testified against Mueller’s previous defense. Swift refused to hold back, delivering both a believable and powerful testimony. Her responses were clear, repeating the same story she had in 2013 stating “It was a definite grab, a very long grab” and that “I felt him grab onto my bare ass cheek."
Swift was even asked if she could visually confirm if she saw the incident, in which she responded that no one could have “Because my ass is located in the back of my body".
Even Swift herself admits that visual evidence is impossible in this case, however. in the photograph taken, Mueller’s hand is visibly lower than Swift’s ribcage, the area he claimed to have touched.
While only those involved can know the complete truth, the laws of reason lean heavily in Swift’s favor. Besides the photograph, her story is both cohesive and time accurate. Taylor also has no reason for perusing Mueller legally besides the alleged assault. Her symbolic one dollar claim in damages reinforces that the events truly did transpire and that her motives stem entirely from the incident.
Taylor has been adamant about her claims, often times responding with agitation in the court room, agitation that is necessary. Swift’s trial and testimony continue to face a wall of rejection, the defense often responding with allegations that she is unsure of what transpired.
Swift, a megastar who is financially stable and one of the most successful artists of all time, who has no reason to falsify the events that took place, is still being doubted. This trial is successfully shedding light on a flaw in the United States legal system that prevents and discourages women from seeking justice, a flaw that Taylor planned to highlight from the start.
Hopefully, the legal system doesn't fail Swift.
