Taylor Swift—who doesn’t appear to be releasing a new album this weekend, sorry everyone—is currently involved in a lawsuit over a 2013 concert meet-and-greet at which she alleges that a Denver radio DJ groped her while posing for a photo. Swift’s lawyers asked the court to seal photos of the incident, arguing they would “be shared for scandalous and prurient interests”—a.k.a., spread all over the internet. The judge granted that request, but has released other material in the case, including a transcript of Swift’s deposition statement, which was reviewed by Billboard.
In her deposition, Swift describes feeling distressed as someone reached up her skirt during the photo op. “Right as the moment came for us to pose for the photo, he took his hand and put it up my dress and grabbed onto my ass cheek and no matter how much I scooted over it was still there,” she said. “It was completely intentional, I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life. … I remember being frantic, distressed, feeling violated in a way I had never experienced before.”
She continued, “A meet-and-greet is supposed to be a situation where you’re thanking people for coming, you’re supposed to be welcoming people into your home, which is the arena for that day, and for someone to violate that hospitality in that way, I was completely stunned.”
The DJ, David Mueller, first sued Swift after her team accused him of grabbing her, claiming he was a victim of slander that caused him to be fired from his job at Denver’s KYGO-FM. Swift countersued for assault and battery, saying she was confident Mueller was the perpetrator. Mueller has said he believes that someone groped Swift, but claims it was his former boss at the radio station, Eddie Haskell.
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Swift’s deposition is intended to support her legal team in a motion for a summary judgment, which would allow the singer to win the case without a full trial. She has previously promised that, should the case go to trial, she would donate any money a jury awarded her to charities for the prevention of sexual assault against women.
