DENVER - Pop star Taylor Swift on Friday won a preliminary round in the federal court trial stemming from her allegation that she was groped by a Colorado disc jockey, as the judge dismissed the DJ's rival claim accusing the singer of wrongfully getting him fired.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge William Martinez left intact Swift's assault and battery countersuit against David Mueller, who had asserted he was falsely accused by the recording star and ousted from his $150,000-a-year job at radio station KYGO-FM under pressure from her.
The judge previously tossed out Mueller's defamation-of-character claim against Swift, originally leaving her only to face a tort claim of interference with contractual obligations and prospective business relations.
The Grammy-winning artist behind such hits as "Fearless" and "I Knew Your Were Trouble" asserted that her representatives informed KYGO management about the alleged groping incident in 2013 but never demanded that Mueller be fired.
Martinez agreed with Swift's lawyer, J. Douglas Baldridge, that the other side had failed to show any basis to support Mueller's contractual interference claims against Swift.
But the judge left the singer's mother, Andrea Swift, and her radio station liaison Frank Bell named as defendants in Mueller's case, meaning the jury will decide if those two should bear any liability for Mueller's dismissal.
The eight-member U.S. District Court jury also will decide whether Mueller is liable for assault and battery, for which Swift is seeking a symbolic $1 in damages. She has pledged to donate any judgment she wins beyond that to charity.
The ruling came on the fifth day of the Denver trial, capped by testimony from Swift's former bodyguard corroborating her account of being groped by Mueller, testifying that he saw the DJ slip his hand under her skirt as they posed for a photo.
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LOS ANGELES - After keeping a low profile for months, Taylor Swift has put herself back in the spotlight in a bare bottom-groping trial, whose potential for embarrassment many celebrities would do their best to avoid.
Yet Swift, one of the biggest names in pop music, shows no signs of wanting to shake off the attention accompanying a sexual assault trial underway this week in Colorado, despite scant support from other female stars.
Instead of settling out of court, Swift, 27, is expected to take the stand and testify in the civil case against a former Denver DJ.
The DJ, David Mueller, 55, sued Swift, claiming he lost his job after she told his manager that he had grabbed her bare buttocks during a meet-and-greet session in Denver four years ago. Mueller has said he is innocent and did nothing inappropriate.
Swift countersued Mueller for assault and is seeking a symbolic $1 in damages to make the point that "you can say no when someone puts their hand on you," her lawyer told the Denver court in opening statements.
Mueller has said he is innocent and did nothing inappropriate.
Her typical strategy has been to write "a nasty song about the person," said Howard Bragman, the founder of Hollywood PR firm Fifteen Minutes. "So clearly, she wants to make a point and she believes she is in the right."
"It's wildly unusual for someone of her caliber to go through with one of these lawsuits. Ninety-nine percent of the time they are settled," said Bragman.
He said trials are unpredictable and can bring up questions over people's sex lives "and no celebrity wants to put themselves up for that kind of situation."
Swift, who has 85 million Twitter and 102 million Instagram followers, has said in depositions she wants the case to serve as an example to other women "who may resist publicly reliving similar outrageous and humiliating acts."
Yet the country-turned-pop star, who has a mixed track record on feminist issues, is not so far getting the support she might expect from her peers for taking a stand.
In January, Swift was accused on social media and by female commentators of being an opportunist feminist for not doing more to support the massive women's marches across the United States that brought the likes of Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Madonna onto the streets. She did not respond.
Despite donating $250,000 to Kesha in 2016 for her own sexual assault legal battles, the "Tik-Tok" singer has been silent so far about Swift's case. Lady Gaga, who has spoken about being raped when younger, has also said nothing, as has Madonna.
The Denver trial follows a difficult 12 months for the singer after a much-ridiculed 2016 summer fling with British actor Tom Hiddleston. She also feuded with Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Katy Perry.
Previously ubiquitous on social media and red carpets, Swift subsequently dropped out of public view. A single tweet in May sending prayers to the victims of the Manchester bombing in England has been her only Twitter posting in more than six months.
Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Leela de Kretser and Lisa Shumaker
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DENVER - Taylor Swift sat next to her lawyers at a federal courthouse in Denver on Monday as jury selection began for a trial pitting the pop star against a Colorado radio personality over allegations the former disc jockey fondled her four years ago during a photo shoot.
Swift, 27, one of the top-selling U.S. singers, wore a black jacket and white top in court as she watched the proceedings.
She is expected to take the stand during the trial in U.S. District Court to testify about the incident, which resulted in broadcaster David Mueller's firing from Colorado music station KYGO-FM.
The litigation centers on Swift's allegations that Mueller slipped his hand under her dress and grabbed her bare bottom as they posed during a meet-and-greet session before her June 2, 2013, concert in Denver.
"It was not an accident, it was completely intentional, and I have never been so sure of anything in my life," Swift said of the incident during a deposition.
Mueller, 55, sued first, claiming Swift falsely accused him of the groping and pressured station management to oust him from his $150,000-per-year job at the station, according to the lawsuit.
Swift countersued for assault and battery and that became part of the same trial.
A crowd of Swift supporters was expected to attend the proceedings.
Maya Benia, 20, a fan from Albuquerque, New Mexico, had been waiting outside the courthouse since 5:30 a.m. MDT (1130 GMT). She could not stay for the trial because of a doctor's appointment but had a letter she hoped someone would relay to the singer.
"It is a thank-you to her for consistently being there for me over the years through all my hospitalizations and also a thank for survivors of sexual assault and her being able to use her voice when others couldn't," Benia said.
Mueller denies anything inappropriate occurred during the brief backstage encounter in which he stood on one side of the pop star and his girlfriend on the other. His lawsuit said Swift's accusation is "nonsense."
Mueller is suing under tort claims of interference with contractual obligations and prospective business relations. Jurors will determine what monetary damages, if any, he is entitled to if Swift is found liable.
In court filings, Swift said her representatives informed KYGO management about the incident but she did not demand Mueller be fired.
The radio station investigated and two days after the incident fired Mueller for violating the morality clause of his contract, court documents show.
The judge has placed a gag order on all parties and attorneys for both sides did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Swift, one of the most successful contemporary music artists, earned $170 million between June 2015 and June 2016 following a world tour and her best-selling "1989" album, according to Forbes Magazine.
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