Music

Radio host sues Taylor Swift after he was fired for grabbing her butt

by Richard Howard

A former Denver-based radio personality has filed suit against Taylor Swift, claiming that he lost his job when the singer and her team unjustly accused him of inappropriately touching the pop star.

David Mueller, who was employed by Denver radio station KYGO until June 4, 2013, outlines in court documents that the incident in question took place during a meet-and-greet with Swift two days before his dismissal. Mueller (who used the on-air moniker ‘Jackson’) attended with is girlfriend Shannon Melcher, and the couple was eventually invited backstage by one of the singer’s staff members. During their time backstage, Swift posed for a picture with Melcher, and Mueller says he “jumped into the photograph at the last second.”

Here’s where the accounts of what happened that night diverge. Mueller contends that following an uneventful photograph, Swift pleasantly bid his girlfriend goodbye with a hug. Some time after, however, he says that numerous members of Swift’s staff including security personnel approached him and accused him of groping the singer’s bottom during the picture taking. Mueller claims he and his girlfriend were “verbally abused” and threatened, ending with the couple leaving the concert.

Mueller then went on to say a Swift staff member named Frank Bell repeatedly called the station. Bell allegedly told KYGO brass that Swift’s parents were furious about the incident, that there was a “damning” photo to back up the claims and that the Swifts were “considering all their options” if the station didn’t “handle Mr. Mueller.” The ex-DJ, claiming that this directly led to his dismissal from the station, attempted to paint the accusation as frivolous in his lawsuit:

“The contention that Mr. Mueller lifted up Ms. Swift’s skirt and grabbed her bottom, while standing with his girlfriend, in front of Ms. Swift’s photographer and Ms. Swift’s highly trained security personnel, during a company sponsored, VIP, backstage meet-and-greet, is nonsense, particularly given that Ms. Swift’s skirt is in place and is not being lifted by Mr. Mueller’s hand in the photograph.”

Mueller also claims that he took and passed a lie detector test with respect to the incident. In a brief response, a Swift spokeswoman seemed to reiterate their position that Mueller acted inappropriately while distancing the singer and her camp from legal culpability, saying: “The radio station was given evidence immediately after the incident. They made their independent decision.” Mueller is suing Swift, her parents, a member of her staff and Big Machine Records head Scott Borchetta for lost wages amounting to $150,000 annually.

[h/t Buzzfeed]