Taylor Swift is taking a stand against sexual assault by countersuing former radio DJ David Mueller for just $1 even though he is requesting $3 million in damages from Swift for what he says are false assault claims, Cosmopolitan reports. Her goal clearly isn't to make money off the case, but rather to raise awareness that touching a woman inappropriately is never okay.
Mueller initially sued Swift, claiming she falsely accused him of lifting her skirt and groping her butt during a photo op at a backstage meet-and-greet in Denver in 2013, Gossip Cop reports. Swift testified Thursday. "It was a definite grab, [a] very long grab," she said. "It was long enough for me to be completely sure it was intentional.”
She went on to explain the assault in detail. “He stayed on my bare ass cheek as I lurched away from him uncomfortably. The first couple of milliseconds, I thought it must be a mistake. I moved to the side very quickly.”
Mueller's attorney, Gabriel McFarland, attempted to rebuke these claims by making accusations against Swift's security team, as well as saying he couldn't visibly see the assault taking place in the photograph. Swift promptly replied, "Because my ass is located on the back of my body."
Swift intends to teach a public lesson with this case—she hopes that her actions serve “as an example to other women who may resist publicly reliving similar outrageous and humiliating acts,” her lawsuit reads.
Swift's attorney, J. Doug Baldridge, said in his opening statement, "She's not trying to bankrupt this man. She's just trying to tell people out there that you can say no when someone puts their hand on you. Grabbing a woman's rear end is an assault, and it's always wrong. Any woman—rich, poor, famous or not—is entitled to have that not happen."
Any monetary winnings from the case will reportedly be donated to “charitable organizations dedicated to protecting women from similar acts of sexual assault and personal disregard,” according to Entertainment Weekly.
As the trial continues in Denver, we applaud Swift's efforts to protect her body and defend the rights of women.