Taylor Swift’s groping photo was leaked by TMZ despite the judge’s orders to keep them sealed. The photos are court-sealed pieces of evidence attached to Swift’s sexual assault lawsuit against a Colorado DJ.
On Saturday morning, TMZ published the controversial photo. During a 2013 fan meet-and-greet, Taylor Swift, 26, stood in between a woman and David Mueller, a former 98.5 KYGO DJ. Following her Pepsi Center performance, Mueller took a photo with Swift and placed his right hand behind her back. Swift alleged Mueller groped her while she posed with both of her arms behind the two hosts.
https://t.co/trBq4Hn096 – TMZ revela foto que mostra Taylor Swift no momento em que sofreu assédio #gossip pic.twitter.com/xErFAO2mfe
— Site RG (@rgsite) November 12, 2016
In October, a judge granted Swift the right to seal one of the photos from the public’s viewing until the sexual assault case goes to trial. However, Swift was denied a request to withhold any other evidence, including a deposition she gave in July. It is uncertain how Swift’s photo got leaked . According to the Daily Mail , Swift’s legal team had successfully filed a motion to seal the image in an attempt to protect her privacy.
E! News obtained the documents and a transcript of the “Bad Blood” singer’s videotaped deposition which described the details of Swift’s alleged sexual assault incident. In her deposition, Swift denied the idea of Mueller’s advances as being accidental. Taylor claimed Mueller intentionally put his hand under her dress.
Taylor Swift — The ‘Sexual Assault’ Photo I Wanted to Keep Secret (PHOTO) https://t.co/qT5FRZLo4T
— TMZ (@TMZ) November 12, 2016
It was noted during the deposition that her skirt was not ruffled or messed up in the photograph.
“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 a** cheek and no matter how much I scooted over it was still there… It was completely intentional, I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.”
Taylor said she remembered “feeling violated” and was “stunned” at the situation. Swift said she couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment it happened because she was “uncomfortable because a strange man’s hand just lifted up my skirt and was either nearing my a** cheek, freshly grabbed onto, or refusing to let go.”
The songstress explained her shock during her deposition , according to the Daily Mail .
“As soon as he grabbed my a**, I became shocked and withdrawn and was barely able to say “thanks for coming,” which is what I say to everybody… I was barely able to get words out, and it was like somebody switched the lights off in my personality… So it was pretty quick that he was gone after that.”
Swift said she “just wanted him to be gone” after the incident. When Taylor was asked if she immediately told one of her staff members after the incident she said “no.”
“No, because I didn’t have one split second without a fan in front of me until that moment… And I didn’t want people to find out about this. Anything that I say in front of fans could end up in the press, and I didn’t want that.”
According to the Daily Mail , in one part of the deposition, Swift’s mother Andrea said she was “nauseous” when Swift came to her and told her about the alleged incident.
“I felt like I wanted to cry and throw up at the same time.”
Andrea said Taylor appeared “humiliated, embarrassed, and horrified.”
“She was upset. She cried. We cried. It was – it was just inconceivable.”
In his deposition, Swift’s security guard Greg Dent recalled what he witnessed between Swift and the DJ.
“Well, before the photo was taken is when I saw him go to put his arm around her and he lift up her skirt. She reacted, pushed her skirt down, and jumped to the side and went closer to the girl that was with him.”
According to New York Daily News , the radio station KYGO-FM was presented with evidence after the groping incident and presumed to fire Mueller two days later. Mueller has maintained his innocence against the Grammy winner’s accusations.
The Colorado DJ filed a lawsuit against Swift in October 2015, claiming he was fired from his job over the “false accusations” that he groped Taylor during the meet-and-greet. According to New York Daily News , Swift then filed a counter suit against Mueller for assault and battery. Swift declared the incident happened, according to TMZ .
“I remember being frantic, distressed, feeling violated in a way I had never experienced before… 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.”
In documents obtained by E! News , the “Shake It Off” singer demanded a jury trial and promised that any money won from the trial would benefit charitable organizations “protecting women from similar acts of sexual assault and personal disregard.”
[Featured Image by Jason Merritt/Getty Images]