Taylor Swift's mother: Former DJ 'sexually assaulted' my daughter
— -- Taylor Swift's mother, Andrea Swift, testified Wednesday that she felt sick after her daughter told her that she’d been allegedly groped by former radio DJ David Mueller four years ago.
Andrea Swift took the stand Wednesday in the ongoing civil trial between the singer and Mueller, who has said that he did not inappropriately touch the pop star.
Andrea Swift said she was not at the meet-and-greet at the time of the alleged incident in Denver back in June 2013, where the singer claims Mueller put his hand under dress and grabbed her backside during a publicity photo, but that she felt like she wanted to vomit and cry at the same time when her daughter shared her side of the story.
"We were shocked. ... We felt it was imperative we let his employers know what happened. ... We did not want him to get away with it," Andrea Swift said, adding that several people on Taylor Swift's team notified KYGO, Mueller's station at the time, though the singer never directed anyone to fire him. "He committed a sexual assault on my daughter. I wanted them [KYGO] to make their own conclusion."
After Mueller's station got wind of the alleged incident, he was fired. Mueller then sued Taylor Swift in 2015, claiming she falsely accused him of grabbing her backside during the event two years prior, which caused him to lose his job. The pop singer then filed a countersuit, in which she said Mueller "took his hand and put it up my dress" backstage. Mueller denied "unequivocally" that he intentionally groped the singer, according to the paperwork obtained by ABC News.
Mueller, who has denied Taylor Swift's claims, told the jury Tuesday during his testimony that he was "100 percent clear" with his managers that he did not grope the pop star.
In her continued testimony on Wednesday, Andrea Swift said her daughter had never reported inappropriate touching or contact before this incident and that she "heard it from my daughter's mouth. I knew exactly what happened. He sexually assaulted her, that guy," she said, pointing at Mueller in court.
"It shattered our trust. It scared us," she said, adding that meet and greets are now smaller, and have more security than before. She added that it left her daughter "shaken" and "humiliated."
When asked why Swift's team never called the police about the incident, Andrea Swift said, "we didn't want it to be public" and that she didn't want her daughter to be defined by that one night.
On Wednesday afternoon, Frank Bell, a longtime family friend of the Swifts and the person who serves as an interface between the singer and radio stations, also testified on Taylor Swift's behalf. Bell, who said he was "shocked, horrified, appalled" when he learned of the allegation, claimed that Andrea Swift asked him to inform the radio station about what they said happened, and "make sure that Mr. Mueller was fired." However, Bell added that when he told the general manager of KYGO about the alleged incident, he merely asked them to look into things.
"All I asked him to do is investigate and take action," he said.
In addition to testimony from Bell and Andrea Swift, the singer's attorney Doug Baldridge continued his cross examination Wednesday of Mueller. Baldridge asked Mueller, “Can we agree that if you accidentally touched Miss Swift’s rear, she’d have a right to not like that?” The former DJ agreed with that statement.
Baldridge also pulled up the publicity photo obtained by TMZ from that night and asked about Mueller's arm, dangling behind Taylor Swift. He compared it to others Taylor Swift took with fans, none with an arm hanging low behind the singer.
"If I had more time, to walk over to get into the photo, it certainly would have been possible,” Mueller responded about possibly putting his hand elsewhere than below her waist.
On Tuesday, Mueller told the jury his side of the story, adding the reason he sued Taylor Swift in 2015 was to clear his name.
"It's a humiliating experience to be accused of something despicable," he said.
During that day's cross-examination, Mueller was asked for a reason why Taylor Swift would make up her story, to which the former DJ responded, "I cannot."
While Mueller said in depositions that his damages amount to some $3 million, Taylor Swift wants compensatory, actual and punitive damages in an amount to be proven at trial, but also a verdict that holds Mueller responsible for the alleged assault.
Taylor Swift says she will donate any money she receives to charities.
