Taylor Swift sexual assault case: Singer observes one-year anniversary at Tampa concert

Erin Jensen | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Taylor Swift wins groping case A jury in Denver quickly concluded that former radio station host David Mueller had groped singer Taylor Swift before a concert in 2013. Per Swift's request, jurors awarded her $1 in damages. (Aug. 15)

Taylor Swift took time during her Tampa concert on Tuesday to observe the first anniversary of her sexual assault trial victory: one year ago, a jury said they believed the singer was groped by ex-Denver radio DJ David Mueller in 2013.

Recalling where she was at this time in 2017, she told the crowd “I was (in Denver) for a sexual assault case and, this day a year ago was the day that the jury sided in my favor and said that they believed me."

The 28-year-old musician got visibly choked up behind her microphone.

"I guess I just think about all the people that weren’t believed and the people who haven’t been believed, or the people who are afraid to speak up because they think they won’t be believed, and I just wanted to say I’m sorry to anyone who ever wasn’t believed because I don’t know what turn my life would have taken if people didn’t believe me when I said that something had happened to me," she said. "So, I guess I just wanted to say that we have so, so, so much further to go, and I’m so grateful to you guys for being there for me during what was really, really a horrible part of my life."

Swift continued to express her gratitude to the audience. "I wanted to thank you for just kind of – I know when I meet you guys at meet-and-greets before and after the shows, you guys tell me about the hard times that you’ve gone through in your lives, and I really appreciate you trusting me with that information. And you guys have seen me go through so many ups and downs in my life just due to the public nature of the way my life is, and I wanted to say that I’m just so happy to see you and to have you and to know you through the ups and the downs in my life."

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In addition to finding Mueller guilty of assaulting and battering Swift under Colorado law, the jury decided that Swift's mother, Andrea Swift, and a manager, Frank Bell, were not responsible for Mueller's firing after the encounter, that they were within their rights to contact Mueller's bosses about what Swift said happened to her during a photo op at a pre-concert meet-and-greet.

Swift and Mueller spent two years in a legal battle over their dueling civil lawsuits. The verdict came at the end of a six-day trial in federal court in Denver. Later, Swift issued a statement.

"I want to thank Judge William J. Martinez and the jury for their careful consideration, my attorneys Doug Baldridge, Danielle Foley, Jay Schaudies and Katie Wright for fighting for me and anyone who feels silenced by a sexual assault, and especially anyone who offered their support throughout this four-year ordeal and two-year long trial process," Swift said in a statement issued by her publicist, Tree Paine at the time.

"I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this. My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard. Therefore, I will be making donations in the near future to multiple organizations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves."

Contributing: Maria Puente

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