By: Jesse Aaron Paul
Singer filed a federal counterclaim Wednesday accusing a former Denver radio host of reaching under her skirt and groping her before a 2013 concert.
The filing is in response to David Mueller’s lawsuit entered last month in which he claims he was fired from his job and banned from Swift concerts for life based on false allegations about the Pepsi Center encounter.
Related:
Swift claims Mueller, who says he was not behind the groping, waited “unreasonably” long to file his complaint and that the allegations therein are false.
“Mueller intentionally reached under (Swift’s) skirt, and groped with his hand an intimate part of her body in an inappropriate manner, against her will and without her permission,” the counterclaim says. “Mueller did not merely brush his hand against Ms. Swift while posing for the photograph: he lifted her skirt and groped her.”
The counterclaim was first reported by The Associated Press.
Related:
Swift’s filing says she “knows exactly who committed the assault — it was Mueller.” It also notes Mueller was twice fired from other on-air personality jobs before his encounter with Swift.
“She has held thousands of meet-and-greet events for both fans and radio station personnel,” the counterclaim says. “In those thousands of events, she has been inappropriately groped one time — by Mr. Mueller.”
The encounter happened June 2, 2013, when Mueller was invited, as part of his then-job at 98.5 KYGO on the “Ryno and Jackson” morning show, to meet Swift backstage.
According to the suit, Mueller posed with Swift and his girlfriend, Shannon Melcher.
After some small talk, “Swift suddenly announced it was picture time” and “quickly put her right arm” around Melcher. Mueller jumped into the photo “at the last second.”
Mueller says Swift’s security staff shortly thereafter approached the couple and removed them from the concert for grabbing Swift’s bottom earlier in the night. They were escorted from the building.
Related:
Mueller was fired on June 4, 2013.
Mueller’s suit claims he lost his job and other prospective business opportunities because of the allegations.
Mueller’s attorney did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Thursday.
“I can’t make any comments,” said Courtney Sullivan, an attorney for Swift.
Swift’s counterclaim requests a trial to settle the complaint and seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages as well as “additional and further relief as is deemed just and appropriate.”
“Any recovery obtained by Ms.Swift will be donated to charitable organizations dedicated to protecting women from similar acts of sexual assault and personal disregard,” the counterclaim says.
