Taylor Swift was basically the star of her very own ‘Law & Order: SVU’ episode

Taylor Swift takes the stand during 'Groping' trial

The courtroom sketch artist is having a hell of a time capturing Taylor Swift, right? I have no room to talk – my father could sketch out someone’s likeness perfectly in a matter of minutes, but I do not have that gift (neither does this sketch artist). Anyway, Day 4 of the Grope-gate trial happened, and it was actually a huge day in court. Taylor Swift took the stand and it was almost like you could hear the *BONG* of the Law & Order: SVU music. Tay’s got a great lawyer too, and as I read through her testimony, it was clear that A) she’s very smart and no one’s fool and B) she retained a lot from her coaching, because her lawyer obviously coached her about what the defense lawyer was going to ask. Tay’s lawyer didn’t end up asking any questions of his client – he let Taylor’s answers to David Mueller’s lawyers stand, because Tay did so well. There’s a lot of back and forth, but here are the broad strokes:

She knows for sure that Mueller groped her & it was on purpose: “It was a definite grab. A very long grab,” she told McFarland on the stand. When asked “how long” the alleged grab took place, Swift replied, “I don’t think it would be wise to estimate time in court, but I know it was long enough for me to be completely sure that it was intentional.”

She felt his hand on her bare bottom: McFarland asked further questions about the incident, including whether his client had grabbed her “bare bottom.” “Yes,” she answered. “He stayed latched on to my bare ass cheek… I felt him grab onto my ass cheek underneath my skirt. The first couple of milliseconds I thought it must be a mistake, so I moved to the side very quickly so that his side would be removed from my ass cheek, but it didn’t let go,” she further testified. When asked if she tried to get away, the star explained, “It was a very shocking thing that has never happened to me before. This was not something I had ever dealt with. I got as far away from him as I possibly could.”

What happened after Mueller groped her: Once the photograph was taken, Swift recalled “a light switched off in my personality. I just said in a monotone voice, ‘Thank you for coming,’ and then they were gone,” she described. “Your client could have taken a normal photo with me.” She said that the “first moment” she had without fans in front of her, she reported the incident. As she recalled telling her assistant, “I said, ‘That dude just grabbed my ass.'”

Why her bodyguard, Greg Dent, didn’t do anything immediately. McFarland asked Swift about working with Dent, including how long he had worked for her and whether or not she considered him one of the best bodyguards she’d ever had. “I don’t have a competition in my mind over best bodyguards,” she replied. The musician declared that she trusted Dent and still does and asserted that he saw Mueller “reach under my skirt and grab my ass.” McFarland questioned if Dent tried to stop Mueller or call security after the alleged incident, to which she replied “no.” It was “a devious and sneaky act,” Swift described. “There was a wall behind me.” The lawyer further questioned the pop star, asking if she was critical or questioned Dent’s protection of her. “What Mr. Mueller did was, like I said, very intentional and the location was very intentional and it happened very quickly and I wasn’t going to blame Greg Dent for something Mr. Mueller did,” she said. When asked if she was critical of Dent for allowing someone to grope her, she retorted, “No, I am critical of your client sticking his hand under my skirt and grabbing my ass.”

On Mueller’s claim that he only touched her ribcage: “He did not touch my rib. He did not touch my arm. He did not touch my hand. He grabbed my bare ass.” Swift also denied that someone else could have grabbed her. “He had a handful of my ass,” she reiterated. “It happened to me. I know it was him.”

Whether she thinks Mueller “got what he deserved” when he was fired: “I don’t feel anything about Mr. Mueller. I don’t know him…I don’t have any feelings about a person that I don’t know. I think what he did was despicable, horrible and shocking. But, I don’t know him at all.”

She’s not at fault: “I am not going to allow you or your client in any way to make me feel like this was my fault, because it isn’t,” she said on the stand Thursday. “I am being blamed for the unfortunate events of his life that are a product of his decisions, not mine.”

[From E! News]

I can’t think of one thing she said which would cause any kind of doubt. She knew what was happening. She realized that she was being assaulted. She dealt with it in her way, and she probably didn’t think she would be sued, but here they are, and she’s confronting it head-on, with the perfect answers to all of the questions. If I was on the jury, it would be difficult to come to any other conclusion other than David Mueller is a groping sexual assailant and that Taylor is basically the most perfect victim ever. I’m not saying that as shade: I’m saying that as a concern for how we view sexual assault victims. If some people refuse to believe Taylor Swift, with her image of blonde, attractive, virginal wholesomeness, then those people will simply refuse to believe any and every woman who ever comes forward with her story.

Court sketch of Taylor Swift with her lawyer Doug Baldridge

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

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129 Responses to “Taylor Swift was basically the star of her very own ‘Law & Order: SVU’ episode”

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  1. rachel says:

    She was excellent, badass and confident. She didn’t let the lawyer confused her.

    • ORIGINAL T.C. says:

      I need to study her testimony. She always brought it back to the predatory and his actions no matter what topic/distractions the opposing counsel brought up. Can she send tips to the reporters who get rolled by Trump and the GOP politicians at every.single.interview?

      • I Choose Me says:

        Right? Reading her answers, I felt proud. I wanted to cheer. I don’t know why I should feel that emotion but I’m just so happy that she got to tell her story and that she refused to be intimidated in anyway by the tactics of her assailant’s lawyer.

    • pinetree13 says:

      They missed her best quote about the skirt!!! They were grilling her about why her “skirt in the front didn’t appear to move” and she responded “Because my ass is in the back” or something to that affect it was GOLD.

      Edit: another commentor (jessi, comment 9) below quotes it better than my paraphrasing!

    • Saks says:

      This

    • Liberty says:

      She was fantastic. Good for her.

    • Carrie says:

      She was! I’m so glad this is being covered in some detail. It’s helpful for all to learn how these things evolve.

      I have my issues with TS being a mean girl but nobody deserves to be groped or otherwise assaulted.

  2. Miles says:

    Every time I read what her responses to the questions were, I wanted to get up and clap. My favorite response is when she said “I am not going to let you or client make it seem like this is my fault, because it’s not.”

    I wanted to cry. Because so many times the victim is made to feel guilty and like what happened is their fault. That quote needs to be plastered in front of every jerk who thinks it’s okay to sexually assault someone….and then make it seem like it’s the victim’s fault.

    • runcmc says:

      I actually *did* cry reading that, because when I was in college (over 10 years ago) I was assaulted and my peer group made me feel like it was my fault. I never reported it or did anything about it, and the guy did it to someone else. It still haunts me. I’m so, so proud of her for standing up and saying these things. Her fans are in exactly the right age group that needs to hear it.

      • Lizzie says:

        i’m sorry that happened to you.

      • Washtuckna says:

        My condolences. You didn’t deserve it. No one does.

      • FLORC says:

        It’s in no way ok what happens to anyone assaulted. I’ve given the details before of being raped. Told I was fortunate that I was beaten thus leaving me with loads of evidence that couldn’t be defended against or justified.
        That said it demonstrates the state of sexual assault survivors and what we have to deal with.

        She stuck to the facts. She’s rehearsed. She’s on point. Victim blaming is real. Rape culture is real. I am no fan of swifty. Not at all. But, I’m behind her 100% mostly because what happened to me. With even all the evidence by the truckload of blood tests, rape kit, Polaroids, xrays, and witnesses the survivor will still be blamed. I won’t be that person.

      • India Andrews says:

        RUNCMC I can relate. I had a guy over. We had been dating for a couple of months before this evening which was to be our first night together having sex. He had permission for vaginal sex with a condom but not anal without a condom. Well…guess where he went after he asked for permission and was denied. So the vaginal with a condom was consensual amd the anal without one was clearly stated as NOT.

        A week later I had my first herpes outbreak around my anal region. The doctor said someone penetrated you anally. One guess who given only one man has ever been there.

        So many people including my parents blamed me because I let him in my bedroom. As if I were telepathic and would know in advance that he would take advantage of me.

        I couldn’t be prouder of Swifty.

    • Millennial says:

      Yup, reading about how she owned Mueller’s lawyer on the stand yesterday was pretty much the only light in a dreary news cycle.

      I agree with the “perfect victim” comments — it doesn’t get any more perfect, really. And some folks are still blaming her (e.g. Why didn’t she have on underwear, etc…) which leaves me little hope for the jury. I’ll cheer if she wins but I’m not counting on it.

      • Jaii says:

        You only have to step in to certain male stars fandoms or twitter to see how this is being treated as one big joke, or she’s lying , and her mum is pushing her into this etc let alone the jokes being thrown about “she has no ass to grab” It’s absolutely sickening to read esp from other women, I only hope the female members of the jury have some sense.

      • Nikki says:

        I was in the dog park today, and some guy said, “We may be going to war with North Korea, but Taylor Swift is on the front page boo-hooing because some guy patted her backside!” and people just nodded, smiled, or didn’t respond. WELL, Celebitchy readers, I said, “No woman deserves to have a stranger grab her private areas; that’s called sexual assault, and I for one am very glad she’s prosecuting the low life who did it. It’s not OK, and women need to speak up to fight it. ” Then someone told a story of being the victim of another type of crime, probably to defuse the situation a bit, but every person needs to combat ignorance like this whenever you hear it. Good for Taylor!

      • magnoliarose says:

        @Nikki Great job! I love it when we shut it down. Maybe they won’t hear it today clearly but one day down the road one of them may look back and see the truth in your sentiments.

    • Nicole says:

      Same. I’m not a Taylor fan but damn if I wasn’t stamping my feet at work at the zingers she was throwing. She was clear about whose fault it was and was not taking any crap. It was amazing testimony. Sadly the fact that she even had to reiterate some of the points she did is disheartening. Because we know there are victims who get dragged through the mud and never see justice.
      THIS is the feminism Taylor I wanted in 2015 btw

      • bettyrose says:

        Nicole:

        ITA! I wouldn’t even know who Taylor is except for this site, but it’s like the entire Internet doesn’t know how to read (and, yet, they can somehow type). She could not have been more appropriate or discreet in the way she handled this. It’s the jackass who assaulted her that was looking for money and headlines with a lawsuit.

    • LizLemonGotMarried says:

      runcmc, you are not alone.
      I’ve been assaulted twice-once by an ex in college, and once when I was at a work event. The first one, I was a “terrible” victim and although we went to court, nothing happened and the judge basically threw it out and said stay away from each other. The one at a work event, seven years later, was very similar to Taylor’s situation-we were posing for pictures and a very successful sales rep grabbed my breast (full handful and squeezed-not just a brush). I froze, and then turned to the girl next to me, who I had worked with for a while at the time, and said did you see that? She nodded. That was on a Friday night-Monday AM I was in my boss’s office giving a statement with a witness. Because I was a pretty perfect victim (upstanding employee, great reputation, flawless work history, newly married) and had a witness-they fired the guy. It came out a couple of weeks later that I was the fourth woman he had grabbed or cornered or straight up assaulted, but I was the first one with a witness and with enough clout to get him fired. It’s terrible that women have to have a freaking witness before someone will take action against a man who is “valuable to the company.”

      If someone tried to assault me today, I like to think I’ve evolved even further and would punch them in the face instead of freezing, but who knows. Hopefully I never have to find out.

      • SJ says:

        Wow, I’m so sorry that happened to you.
        I wasn’t assaulted, but I dealt with harassment in college and even when I did everything I was told to do, I faced the same thing you did: just to “stay away” from the other person. Glad you were able to get justice at work though!

      • FLORC says:

        It still carries…. you have to be worth protecting…. And that’s awful.
        As a side note. I’ve started I’ve been assaulted. And was against somewhat recently. No witness to the act. Only those to the harassment leading up. And I froze. I said I wouldn’t. I said I’d fight back. I froze out of panic, fear and survival. It’s never ok. And how you deal with it is instinct. Not because you aquiese to it.

    • Tiffany :) says:

      ” Because so many times the victim is made to feel guilty and like what happened is their fault”

      Yes, this! And her reply “You’re client could have taken a normal photo”, was after SHE was asked if she could have done anything differently. 😡

      • Liberty says:

        Right!?! Brilliant.

      • I Choose Me says:

        Omg that question enrages me but does not surprise me. Her answer was perfect.

      • FLORC says:

        An anecdote/true story to the best of my knowledge…
        A partner at a lawfirm.. his daughter was in a coma from a car wreck. She was raped while in a coma. Until then all partners would defend those accused of sexual assault with mountains of evidence proving this. But, after that man’s daughters was assaulted… he refused to defend anyone accuses of it. And others did follow. A story that warms my heart in a way.

        Sadly, the victim is easily blamed and it’s almost instinctive to do so.

  3. Freddy Spaghetti says:

    She was a *boss* on the stand!

    Also, the sketch artist is horrendous at their job.

    • tracking says:

      +1 on both counts!

    • Liberty says:

      They’re like Illustrations for Nancy Drew and the Ass Grab Mystery.

    • kibbles says:

      Taylor Swift is very smart. She got a lot of help from her parents to get where she is today, but you have to admit that she has the intelligence to control her career in the way Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson do not. She seems like someone with her head on straight and who could still be a huge success in another profession such as business, law, or the management side of entertainment if she had not become a pop star.

  4. Cannibell says:

    The most important thing when you’re on a witness stand is to only answer the questions asked, not veer into anything that gives the questioner an opening to punch holes in your credibility. That was some masterful testimony – she owned that interaction.

  5. akua says:

    Olivia Benson swift has been teaching her mama

  6. Lucy2 says:

    Wow, those are excellent answers. She handled herself so well. I love that each time the attorney try to pin the blame on someone else, like her or her bodyguard, she very clearly put it back on the assailant.
    I’m so sorry she’s had to go through this, but I admire the way she has handled it.

  7. Rapunzel says:

    Taylor making both Olivia Bensons proud!

  8. Lozface says:

    Wow! I’m so proud of how she handled this.

    This exact scenario happened to me at a work event nearly 2 years ago. I was in shock and didn’t want to make a scene. I told another colleague about it, and promptly left. The colleague complained about it on my behalf but it got swept under the rug and it was the final straw for me, working in ‘financial services’.

    It’s so comforting to hear a woman (who shouldn’t have to be in this situation) handle it so unbelievably well.

    What an absolute creep this guy is. So disturbing.

    • LizLemonGotMarried says:

      I am SO sorry that happened to you and your company didn’t support you. I went through something very similar (posted upthread), and fortunately my company supported me because I had a witness and was a “good” victim, but there were three other women that had been through the same thing with the same guy who were NOT supported because the guy was successful. It really just hit me that-had they addressed it when the first woman complained, three less women would be traumatized. This was the same Fortune 50 company where men would leave Playboys in the women’s bathroom, use the women’s bathroom whenever they wanted…it was a mess. HR oversight is a lot more structured now, and I live in a different, much larger market, but that market in a small town in the “Bible Belt” was awful.

      • Lozface says:

        Thanks so much for your message. I am so sorry you’e had a similar experience. Sadly this was on top of many other things that had happened over the years, and this is a bank (in Australia) that promotes itself as an employer of choice for women. I’d meet with clients who would just touch me on my leg (sometimes bare) and I’d say nothing as I didn’t want to ’cause a scene’. I’ve since sort psychological support in regards to why I let things happen like that!

        I ended up losing it with the company and they were forced to escalate it 4 months after it had happened. The colleague (male) who reported it in the first place was amazing. It showed me that there were good guys out there and a few others were wonderful support and horrified at what had happened.

        The perpetrator got a slap on the risk and was told he couldn’t drink at work events. I told them alcohol had nothing to do with it and I feared for the younger admin ladies who he would stalk at events. They didn’t listen!!

        The industry as a whole in Aus is so male dominated and on the outside demonstrates that it’s changed, but at the heart the old sexist attitudes are still there!

        I’m now training and mentoring financial planning students and am loving it! It’s the best change I could’ve made. All 3 trainers are female and boy do we have some stories to tell!

        I’m hoping there’s a positive outcome for Taylor Swift here as I will feel a little personal win mysef!

  9. Jessi says:

    You are missing my favorite!

    When McFarland asked the singer why the front of her skirt did not appear to be lifted in the front she said, “Because my ass is located in the back of my body.”

    • Scal says:

      Yes! That was my favorite comeback line as well.

      • mp says:

        I love the fact that she is using the word “ass”, it makes it sound more crude right?
        Can’t believe I’m rooting for her, but TEAM TAYLOR on this one for sure.

      • littlemissnaughty says:

        mp, it’s pretty great, isn’t it? The effect it has? There is nothing cute about it, she’s not ashamed or trying to find less sexual terms. It highlights the disgusting aspect of the situation, doesn’t let anyone forget the visceral reaction she must’ve had and sort of reminds us what he must’ve been thinking. “I’m going to grab her ass.” Your immediate thought is “What a vile person.” and bam, he looks even worse.

        I wish every woman had her lawyer. That is excellent prep work. And whatever her faults, this is something women need to hear.

      • Liberty says:

        Agreed – the prep work she did and use of that term to make the jury feel the crudeness of the act were perfect. Good for her for being strong and direct.

    • MC2 says:

      Yes!!! And that part about a normal pic was good too. The lawyer asked her about what SHE did or did not do and she said “your client could have taken a normal pic with me” in retort. She always kept the focus on douchebag & what he did. The actions that he did- it was awesome.

      Did anyone else think it was weird that she said “ass”? I had an initial reaction to it & I would have said “buttocks” being in court. But I think “ass” has more umph and it’s what I would say anywhere else so why not say ass in court too? Saying buttocks would make me feel & sound like an elementary school kid. She did great and her choice of using ass vs butt was even on point.

      • ???? says:

        It’s all about phrasing and “brainwashing” when you try to use a word that doesn’t sound so coarse. That is as well when they call a bloody murder a crime out of passion, just so to make it sound less grotesk and to put some blame on the victim (just an example). I would assume her lawyer advise her to use those words to point out how coarse his action was with no sugar coating, to make it stick with the jury .

  10. Jaii says:

    I couldn’t help but snort when at the end of one answer she addressed the lawyer by his first name Gabe.
    This was “boss” Taylor and on E they mentioned this was the real Taylor , not the facade she shows to make herself more public friendly (paraphrasing) , and I can’t help but wish this was the Taylor she presented to the world .

    • Emma33 says:

      I’d love to listen to a recording of these interactions. It’s a pity we can’t, because it would go viral for sure, and I think it would be so helpful to a lot of young women out there who are her fans.

      Every time the lawyer tries to pin some kind of blame or confusion on her or her team she just hits the blame ball right back into the other side of the net….where it belongs!

      I think this version of tay-ray is her actual personality- very controlled (and controling) and super smart and switched on.

      • Carol says:

        yep, I think she’s very controlling of others and herself, knows what she wants, ambitious and smart – she wants things the way that she wants them. She has the money to control more things in her life than most people do and she likes that she can use her money and influence to design her life to her liking better than most people can – shes a girl boss.

      • Lady D says:

        I like this Taylor a lot better, too.

      • noway says:

        I think women are shown and taught they can only seem a certain way. If you are famous this is how you are presented, and I think the women who are successful just fall into the pattern. This image makes me successful, until it doesn’t, because it makes them look not authentic, a la Hillary Clinton and Taylor. Everyone thinks they are up to something when in fact maybe they are just like a guy and want things a certain way.

    • Embee says:

      I thought that was a nice touch, as well. It may not play well with the jury (because she comes across as disrespectful of the formal forum of a courtroom and thus arrogant) but it was too delicious to wish she’d done any differently!

      I wonder if it was a strategy to take good ol’ Gabe down a notch to the jurors, so that he wasn’t “Mr.” but just some doofus: Gabe.

      ETA: same concept with her repeated use of the word “ass” and “ass cheek”; she’s not letting the formality and propriety of the courtroom whitewash the lurid nature of mueller’s behavior. Well done.

    • BearcatLawyer says:

      Whenever an opposing counsel refers to me by my first name, be it in court or a meeting, I automatically begin referring to him/her by his/her first name (although let’s be real – it has ALWAYS been a man who did this and NONE of them were friends who usually called me by my first name). I literally will begin or end every sentence with his/her first name just to make a point. In a professional legal environment, you use titles and last names for everyone. Period. Heck, I even refer to my *co-counsels* who usually ARE personal friends as “Mr. So-and-so” or “Ms. So-and-so.”

      If this lawyer called her Taylor while she was on the stand, she did the right thing by referring to him as “Gabe.” It only serves to highlight the way some men continually dismiss and/or diminish women.

  11. Jamieee says:

    She did so well.

    Gotta say, this is the Taylor Swift I wish we’d see more of.

    • Nancy says:

      Agree. A strong woman who won’t accept bullshit is much more appealing than a princess. A good lesson for her fans.

    • I Choose Me says:

      Hear, hear!

    • kibbles says:

      I’d like to see more of her smart and savvy side as well, and that might make more of an appearance as she gets older and she has no choice but to target a more mature fan base. Although I think a lot of her fans, and that would include some men and those who are conservative, would not like the real Taylor. This is probably a large reason why she is smart enough to keep her political opinions to herself. Unlike some people here, I believe she did vote for Hillary Clinton, but admitting to that publicly would have turned off much of her fans in the South.

      • magnoliarose says:

        The phony persona is what drives me crazy about her. I highly doubt she supports Trump. I am not a fan but I wouldn’t accuse her of absolute stupidity,

  12. Alleycat says:

    I really don’t understand what his case is. Is he really just banking on the jury siding with him because he’s a male? So far I’ve only seen his case be that he didn’t touch her, when there was already photographic evidence that shows otherwise. I wonder how embarrassed his lawyer is right now.

    • Erica_V says:

      No I think he was banking on her paying him a nice little settlement to make this go away and stay out of the news.

    • Scal says:

      He sued her and then she counter sued. Like Erica said, he though she’d settle out of court with a nice pay day and wasn’t expecting to have to testify/show evidence.

      • perplexed says:

        Is this a civil case? I didn’t even realize that.

        OMG, he’s such a moron.

      • noway says:

        Yes he is a moron for doing this in the first place. It is just gross! Generally though people do settle. Honestly the odds of a settlement were in his favor, but got to give Taylor credit she is going for it for $1 so she can label the guy a grade a douche by a civil court.

  13. Julie says:

    I never disliked TS but I really like her now. While she may have a great lawyer who took time to prep her for what may be asked, once she was on the stand that was All her. She is a smart young woman who isn’t taking any crap and is a great example to others in NOT letting some asshat make his bad behavior and actions somehow her fault. Brava! Brava!!

  14. Grandjen says:

    “Never had that happen to me before” was what stood out for me. I was molested by two different people in childhood, and at age 12 had the principal of a school make a sexually suggestive comment to me in the bus line. And that’s not all either; sexual harassment in college, in the workplace….

    As I get older I’ve been crushed to discover that I’m hardly alone. Few girls make it as far as Taylor in life without something happening; she obviously is not “desensitized” to it. Maybe that’s why she pursued it this way. Good for her and I hope her young fans are paying attention.

    • MC2 says:

      Yes to all of this. Someone said to me recently something about “the women” who have been subjected to sexual harassment and I laughed to myself. What woman hasn’t been subjected to sexual harassment?! And that is so sad. And sexual assault. Ugh. The same guy complained to me about having to deal with “damaged women” and I told him to get on a damn boat and peddle away from me toward that island of pristine, untarnished women with his ‘undamaged by people in our society’ self. I need new friends.

      We get victimized & then blamed for it or put down if we speak up. We become more able to talk about our own victimization when we talk about others & can see ourselves in them. We need a damn revolution and when one starts, I am here & ready.

    • pinetree13 says:

      Yes, this opened up mixed feelings for me. I have been groped like this SO MANY times and it never even occurs to me to report it because it doesn’t feel like “a big enough deal” to report. The last time was just about two years ago. I was reaching into my vehicle struggling to get my then infant out of her car seat and some guy came up and grabbed my butt and scared the hell out of me.
      I was going to report it but I went on our local police website and it said something to the affect of “be sure you want to report a sexual assault case because of the following reasons” and it literally talked me out of it. I was like, “well i guess it’s not that big of a deal” and what not.

      So yeah, I’ve clearly been conditioned because it was jarring for me to read about someone actually testifying against someone “just” for groping. Know what I mean?

  15. thisishisbananas AKA poorlittlerichgirl says:

    I don’t understand how this lawyer can sleep at night when he puts the blame on the VICTIM of a sexual assault. I guess money is a great motivator. I don’t think he would appreciate that if the victim were his wife or daughter.

    • lightpurple says:

      It is his job. Our system is based on the right of everyone, even mass murderers, to have effective counsel.

      • Nancy says:

        You must be a lawyer too. Everyone has a right to counsel, no matter how heinous the crime. We do still live in America.

      • thisishisbananas AKA poorlittlerichgirl says:

        I understand that and everyone should be entitled to a fair trial and due process. I’m just very sensitive to these types of cases. It hits close to home for me.

      • Lady D says:

        I know everyone deserves competent counsel LP, but seriously, how do some lawyers sleep at night? Yes, there are a few lawyers who are in it for the fame and money, but most are decent, hard-working people keeping a family together and trying to get along. How do they sleep at night when they have to defend nightmare clients like a Casey Anthony or a pedophile or even worse scum? When becoming a lawyer, does it include a course on how to deal with clients dispassionately, the way doctors are taught to detach from the patient?

      • noway says:

        I agree that everyone has a right to counsel, but I do have a problem with the way it is okay to blame a victim of sexual assault. This isn’t against a lawyer, per se, but the system that allows this. I think the defense has to be the assault didn’t happen, and it can’t be well the victim led me on to believe she wanted sex, which is what I think too many defenses are based on. I mean it has changed as you can’t use the defense you can’t rape your wife in most places in the US, but what about a victims appearance does that mean she asked for it. I have no problems with lawyers given the best legal defense, I just want the legal defense to not be able to say something so outlandish.

        I’m not sure about his defense though, as his question about the skirt was pretty stupid, and it seems to me you could argue it didn’t happen as not a lot of people saw it. Which is what I guess he was trying with the skirt comment, but how the lawyer didn’t see that one coming is beyond me.

    • MC2 says:

      What Lightpurple said- we need all the cogs for the machine to run properly for us all.

      The attorney for my rapist tried to blame me for the rape that occurred when I was a child during a weeks long deposition. It was her job. I didn’t blame her. But I did blame her when she bumped into me in public two years later and tried to talk to my ass. I know you did what you ‘needed’ to do but I don’t have to like you for it. That part was weird to me- she should go talk to her counselor or something but trying to do a mea culpa with me when my memories are flooding of the shit she said to me??? That job is most definitely not worth the paycheck. It was an odd human experience that made me realize that it is not without consequence to do those jobs & you tell yourself that people understand what you are doing but no- there is no huggy huggy after something like that.

      • Kezia says:

        Sorry to hear what happened to you as a child, that so awful.

        To me that attorney sounds like she’s bad at her job if her defence in such a case was to blame a child for being raped, that is outrageous, appalling and disgusting.

        How DARE she try and talk to you after that,. Good for you not being the “nice and polite woman” and alleviating her justified guilt.

  16. L84Tea says:

    I don’t know why, but I’m giggling slightly over the fact that she kept saying “ass cheek” in a courtroom. I mean, I’m not sure how many other ways she could’ve put it, but hearing it over and over again as “ass cheek” sounds funny…But also, I am no fan TS and normally find her beyond obnoxious, but my hat is off to her here. That testimony was damn impressive.

  17. D says:

    “No, I am critical of your client sticking his hand under my skirt and grabbing my ass.” Such a good response, I’m so impressed with how she’s dealing with all of this.

  18. Jessi says:

    Another great one:

    She explained why no one else saw Mueller grabbing what Swift called “a handful of my ass.” “The only person who would have a direct eye line is someone laying underneath my skirt and we didn’t have anyone positioned there.”

    • Horse Marine says:

      Hahaha, I hadn’t heard that one. Good for her for not letting that sh*tty lawyer put the blame on her. I appreciate her sarcastic sense of humor and directness. Like others have pointed out, I feel like this is the real Taylor: controlled, confident, direct, sharp as a tack.

    • Liberty says:

      HA!! Awesome comeback. Good for her.

  19. Jenns says:

    Good for her for totally owning that lawyer.

  20. virginfangirl2 says:

    She was great.

  21. Merritt says:

    Taylor’s responses on the stand were great. I’m glad she didn’t let the defense rattle her.

  22. Izzy says:

    I actually disagree with the statement that she is the “perfect victim.” Too often victims are criticized for: not coming forward right away, not showing more emotional impact, etc. The criteria for being believed are RIDICULOUS and put victims of sexual assault in no-win scenarios, and Taylor Swift is blowing all of that nonsense out of the water, which makes what she is doing – and how she’s doing it – all the more impressive.

  23. chisey says:

    I agree, she was really impressive. Every time they tried to get her to veer off topic, she refused like a pro. I wanted to cheer when I read that she pointed out that all the things that went wrong in this guy’s life are the product of his decisions, not hers.

    One thing that sticks out to me is that she consistently uses the term “ass” while others go for more polite terminology like “backside” or “rear end.” I’m not in any way complaining – she can talk about it in any terms that she likes – but considering that she’s so consistent, and must have practiced her answers a million times, I feel like it must be a deliberate word choice that I find kind of fascinating because it’s a little bit off-brand for the wholesome good-girl image. Maybe her thought is that she’s going to use a crude word to describe a crude act because anything else is sugarcoating it?

    • Jaii says:

      Media reporting from the court room suggested your reasoning was the very reason she probably used the word “ass” , and I think it was well done . Bottom or rear end or derrière would make it seem less intrusive I think .

    • Scal says:

      It was def a call by her lawyers. Bottom, butt etc can be nuanced by the defense to be just in the general area of her backside-purposefully calling it ass highlights the vulgar and crude nature that this jerk did.

  24. Zuzus Girl says:

    Good for her! Fucking lawyers always try to turn it back on the victims.

  25. Carol says:

    Swift handled this perfectly. Not a fan of hers – you don’t have to be a fan of hers to realize that she did a great job of being a strong and powerful woman here.

  26. LadyT says:

    I love it. How many times have we all replayed a nasty situation over and over in our head, only to think of the perfect comeback after the fact? But she did it on the spot and owned that lawyer and client. That’s how I related and I was cheering.

  27. Madly says:

    So you are saying that if we don’t believe her then we will never believe anyone? What a load of crap.

  28. Lucy says:

    Excellent. If this can help other women who have to go through such a thing, splendid. I don’t care if she’s just doing it for her image or not.

  29. Tallia says:

    Not a Swifty, but no woman deserves to be assaulted and that is what it was, an assault. Her answers were perfect, probably because it is easiest to answer when you are telling the truth. Also, I am glad she spoke up, so many times people laugh off something like this as if it was “funny”, because it is so shocking when it happens. It’s not funny – it is a violation.

  30. ???? says:

    Does anyone know where to find the full transcript?

  31. Portia says:

    I feel like this needs to be said since Taylor’s trial has brought up sexual assault and issues and obstacles when women try to seek justice for it. The way Taylor delivered her testimony, she’s being applauded for being strong and quick thinking and not letting the defense intimidate her. However, I guarantee you that if this were a WOC, specifically a black woman, we would not be seeing this kind of support. She would be called out for being crude for using the word “ass”, for being disrespectful to the court and the judge and jury members with her answers, for not taking the trial seriously, and if she were black, the ppl and media wouldn’t hesitate to use the “angry black woman” stereotype.

    I’m glad Taylor is dragging this pathetic disgusting man and not letting him get away with assaulting her and then having the brazen audacity to extort her for a quick pay day over it. I seriously support her in that. But it pains me to realize that things would be so different if she were a WOC trying to seek justice against her assailant. Even Taylor’s critics and haters are standing with her on this but this same public would be so critical of her if she were a WOC and had given this same testimony in the same manner.

    • Jada says:

      Why can’t you let a good thing be just for once, and not make it about race.

      • jetlagged says:

        Portia’s not wrong though. Leaving aside the public reaction for a moment, can you imagine the jury responding positively if someone other than a rich, famous, wholesome white girl gave those sorts of answers in that situation?

      • Portia says:

        Because Taylor herself said she’s doing this for sexual assault victims everywhere. Last I checked WOC get assaulted too. So doesn’t that beg the question that would ALL victims of sexual assault receive this level of support when they stood up to their abusers or would people cherry pick their support depending on something like race? Even Lainey brought this up yesterday. People like you can’t applaud something as a victory for women on one hand and then turn around and disregard the rest of the women when they voice how they’d face a discriminating treatment in the exact same if not worse situation.

        And frankly I’m sick of people acting like you and saying things like “don’t bring race into this let a good thing be”. Get your rose colored blinders off. Race factors into cases like this and colors public opinion. Especially in a country like America that’s ripe with racism and sexism.

      • Jada says:

        Exactly, she is doing it for ALL women. Why divide it on almost every article on here and matter concerning women rights. Because ALL women includes WOC as well. There undoubtedly are things that need to be tackled concerning rights and treatment of WOC, but sometimes women should stand united in support and not call it the WOC women and the other women. We are stigmatizing ourselves with that even further.Lets use her as a precedent case instead of an what if.

      • jetlagged says:

        OK, let’s not get too excited about Taylor Swift: Crusader for ALL Women. At best she’s a reluctant activist. Let’s not forget that the only reason we know this ever happened is because the jerk that groped her had the gall to sue her. If not for that, Taylor continues on with no one the wiser.

        All the props in the world to her for A) reporting him in the first place and B) going back at him hard when he came after her for what he probably thought would be a quick payday. But it’s a big stretch to suddenly proclaim her the feminist hero we’ve all been hoping for. Yes, she is taking a stand – hooray for that – but only because she was backed into a corner and had no other choice.

    • Embee says:

      You make an excellent and salient point, Portia, and one we need to keep in the discussion. Case in point: Maxine Waters and Kamala Harris

      When those racially-biased accusations are made in the future we should all refer back to Taylor’s demeanor on the stand to highlight the discrimination.

      • Portia says:

        Jada – unfortunately it’s not a case of “what if a WOC” but rather “when a WOC” because this is the reality in the US. Look at Blac Chyna and her treatment when Rob Kardashian attacked her. WOC specifically black women, get shut down real fast if they talk the way Taylor did at her testimony. WOC have to dress, walk, talk in a very subdued, very specific, very demure, very polite manner at ALL times in ALL situations in order for others to just listen to them much less take them seriously.
        People say this feminist movement or this women’s rights fight is for all women but the ugly reality is that WOC get excluded from those all the time because “let’s not bring race into this”. Instead of saying “dont ruin a good thing, let’s not bring race into this”, would it be so difficult to simply listen to their side too? There’s a reason why WOC feel excluded from women’s rights conversation in America, it’s not just empty attention seeking words. It may make you uncomfortable but race determines a lot in America, just like gender does.

    • Kezia says:

      You are absolutely right and it is tragic that WOC are treated so terribly. Lainey on Lainey gossip made the same point as you and that if it had been a WOC she would have been accused of the “angry black woman” trope.

      And Jada endemic racism will continue until it is consistently called out by people. Honestly, What is your problem?! And that comment was so rude to Portia.
      Edit to add: I didn’t see your follow up comment Portia mentioning Lainey gossip as I had such a visceral reaction to yours and jadas comment, apologies for being repetitive.

      • Portia says:

        Jetlagged – reading your comment made me realize that Taylor’s socioeconomic status also factors into this heavily. Look at all the college girls who get raped or gang raped by those selfish spoiled rich jocks or fratboys, and how those boys’ rich daddies get shark lawyers who blame the victims saying things like her going to the party and having drinks and wearing a cute outfit meant she was looking for attention. It’s always “don’t destroy this poor boy’s bright future over a drunken mistake” and those innocent girls are majority white. They happen to be middle class or lower. This just shows the holes in our society that a woman has to be rich and powerful like Taylor to get any kind of traction against abuse and push back.

        Ember – I hope so. We can’t have conversations about women and our rights in US without accepting that WOC make up the population as well. When Taylor says she’s doing this for all sexual assault victims everywhere then WOC discrimination in such cases should be part of the conversation as well and WOC should feel comfortable voicing their thoughts on it without fear that ppl like Jada will try to shut them down.

        Kezia – I had the same visceral reaction when I read Jada’s comment. It’s just such an ignorant thing to say especially after all we’ve seen in the last few years. No need to apologize on the Lainey article. I loved that Lainey pointed this problem out. It’s very unfortunate what happened with Taylor, but her fighting back is sparking off some much needed discussion on women’s rights and how men think they can treat us. I hope our girls are watching and learning and talking.

    • Saks says:

      I agree. But public support to Taylor in this case is recent, when this first news first broke out most ppl didn’t support her. Most of the comments were in the lines that she was either lying, exaggerating, how awful she was bc she made that man lose his job, and I even saw many on the lines of “she wants to play victim again after kimye exposed her as a snake”. Yes, of course her being white and the ‘perfect victim’ has played in her favor and anyone who says different is blind; but in my pov what made the biggest difference is her huge ww fandom, they never let this die, were pushing her version, fighting those who were saying all those things about her, commenting in gossip sites and news outlets reporting this, etc. And at least on stan twitter, the connections and links they have with other fandoms also helped to reach others.
      I just hope this creates a precedent that helps ppl to understand that assault should never be normalized and to always support the victims. We have a long way to go, especially for woc but in my pov, this is another small step.

      • Portia says:

        Saks – those same ppl who thought Taylor was lying or it was a PR ploy, they still think that. Their minds haven’t changed. I still see the same nasty mocking comments on those tabloid sites. I think if someone hates Taylor Swift at that extreme level, there’s no changing their minds. I’m not a Taylor Swift fan by any means. In fact, many things about how she handles her image and career bother me but the thing about feminism is that you stand for women’s rights even if it’s for someone you don’t particularly like. Just because you’re not a fan, doesn’t mean you can’t stand with Taylor during her sexual assault trial. He not only violated her in the presence of his own girlfriend and other people but also thought he could extort hush hush money out of her by suing her. If people still keep mocking Taylor and thinking it’s all lies after what we’ve heard and seen so far, that’s on them and their own inherent character. If she simply wanted to humiliate the guy and ruin his life, she could’ve done it in many different ways than counter suing him.

  32. kimbers says:

    I hope I’m never grabbed bc I hit hard. Fight or flight

  33. Happy21 says:

    I was reading comments on social media about her testimony yesterday (EW, E!, etc.) and so many comments were AWFUL. Like ‘what ass’ or ‘she has no ass so I doubt this happened’ and shit like ‘she liked it’ or ‘it’s not like she was raped’. I was absolutely appalled. And they weren’t just comments from men, they were from women as well. In fact a huge portion of the comments were in this context. WTF is wrong with people? Are we, as a society, so sexualized that something like this can’t be traumatizing and isn’t seriously WRONG?

    • Aren says:

      I think it has to do with people disliking Taylor.
      I know and I’m aware that a lot of people don’t respect victims of sexual assault, or women in general, but in this case I think it also has a lot to do with how unpopular Taylor is.
      Many of us can overlook that she has purposely harmed others, and admit that she was a victim of this creep, but other people can’t do either.

  34. Saks says:

    “I am not going to allow you or your client in any way to make me feel like this was my fault, because it isn’t, I am being blamed for the unfortunate events of his life that are a product of his decisions, not mine.”
    Perfect statement. Go Taylor!
    We are so used to men assaulting us that I’ve seen comments in other sites saying things like she is making such a big deal of it or even making really disgusting jokes. I’m so glad she is doing this.

  35. Anastasia says:

    I snapped at a co-worker yesterday who said TS is overreacting. He put his hand up her skirt and grabbed her ass without her permission. That DJ is lucky that his testicles are still in tact. Then my co-worker googled the picture and he said “Oh yeah that’s messed up.”.

    • Hikaru says:

      Men who call this an overreaction are either men who sexually harass women already or men who want to but are afraid of possible consequences.

      • Aren says:

        Or, they’ve never had their ass grabbed by another male.

      • Anastasia says:

        Well he’s gay lol I just don’t think he understood the severity of it until he looked at photo.

      • kibbles says:

        Anastasia, there are a lot of gay men who are misogynists. It is possible to be victimized while still holding on to your privilege to victimize others even lower down society’s totem pole. Many gay men do this by still benefiting from the privilege of being a man, especially if they are white. Not surprising at all he doesn’t think it’s a big deal when a woman is assaulted.

      • otaku fairy says:

        @Hikaru: That, or there are other men in their lives who they respect/admire who have behaved in disgusting ways towards women and they feel a need to defend them. It often seems like the MRA movement is just a holding pen for men who have harassed/ abused women + the enabling misogynistic fanboys of those men.
        @kibbles: “It is possible to be victimized while still holding on to your privilege to victimize others even lower down society’s totem pole.” This. Your comment reminded me of the disgusting and violent beliefs Chrissy Hynde has spread to the publix about women, despite being a woman and a sexual assault survivor herself.

  36. Lauren says:

    This man is disgusting. Bravo to Swift for standing her ground.

  37. Electric Tuba says:

    I don’t like this woman at all but the headline here made me feel bad for her because that is the disrespect towards what happened that she feared. I’m sure she didn’t want to star in her own episode. She didn’t want to be groped.

  38. Spittair says:

    Not a Taylor fan either but I loved her composure and responses. The dolt lawyer actually asked her at one point why the front of her skirt wasn’t ruffled when the groping happened and she responded with something to the effect of “because my ass is behind me”. Bwahaha.

  39. phatypopo says:

    i love how she’s using the word “ass” to describe her butt. There’s something more jarring about it and that’s very effective.

  40. diane says:

    Thank you Taylor. This happen to me as well. I was at an event (I am a photographer) One of the event staff reached between my skirt and cupped my butt/vagina from behind as he gave me a “welcome hug” I didn’t say anything. I just stood there shocked…I think I just thought no one would just grab a near stranger in public like that. I never forgot it. Who would I tell and would they believe me. Thanks for speaking up Taylor.

  41. Lightpurple says:

    Judge threw the case against her out. Case against her mother & manager continues but he lost his case against Taylor.

    • Yira says:

      Also important to note Taylor’s case against him still stands. She’s asking for just 1 dollar but the judge could award more if she wins.

  42. Cee says:

    When I was about 23 years old I attended a friend’s college graduation party at a night club. I was dancing with a friend when a man came up to me, took me by my waist and started dancing with me. He wouldn’t let me go even as I struggled. He whirled me so he was pressed to my back, stuck his hand inside my skirt and underwear, and touched me. I spun around and punched him in the face, and ran. He was drunk while I was very sober, that’s the only reason I got away unharmed. So yeah, I hope she gives him hell for this.

  43. E says:

    I’m not usu a fan of TS’ antics and that makes me applaud this ALL THE MORE. A woman’s credibility or authority is often in direct proportion to her likability. Eff that. Seriously. It’s 2000-and-late. Who cares if she overreacted to Katy Perry’s dancers leaving her tour, or called pap to capture the Tiddlesbanging on a remote New England beach, or writes blind-item songs that could restore a blind person’s sight. An ass cheek grab is an ass cheek grab. A gazillion props to her for setting a brave example for young women who are as sexualized as ever despite the onward march of progress. Brava TS! It’d be amazing if Tom, Jake, John, Harry, etc. united behind her on behalf of women, regardless of personal history or embarrassing tank tops. #oliviabenson