After six days in court and hours of deliberation, a Denver jury has ruled in favor of Taylor Swift in her case against David Mueller, a former radio DJ who allegedly groped her during a meet-and-greet in 2013. The jury ruled that Mueller did assault and batter Swift, and additionally found that her mother and a member of her management team couldn’t be blamed for interfering with Mueller’s contract, E! News reports.
Upon hearing the verdict, Taylor reportedly turned to tearfully hug her mother and attorneys – it followed a long day of being told by Mueller’s lawyer Gabe McFarland that her face in the photo of the meet-and-greet was not “the face of someone who’s had someone grab their butt,” and that, “There’s nothing in Taylor Swift’s face to suggest anything is wrong,” People says. (I know, I’m as appalled as you are.)
While this is a super victorious moment for Taylor, the singer also acknowledged her privilege in this case as, you know, a super famous millionaire, in a statement to People.
“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,” Swift says. “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.”
Mixing up their inspo post-it messages to Taylor Swift @beCraftsy pic.twitter.com/pQSUOILukc
— Claudia Rosenbaum (@CJRosenbaum) August 14, 2017
Taylor will receive her symbolic $1 in damages from Mueller after a two year legal process. Even though no amount of money or legal action can fix what victims go through following sexual assault, it’s amazing to see Taylor Swift using her platform to speak up for other women who have been through similar experiences.