DJ says taking Taylor Swift to court was only option

Employment Law

The former radio host who lost a groping lawsuit to Taylor Swift in federal court this week said he realizes the case was in the pop star's favor, but he had no interest in backing down.

David Mueller told The Associated Press on Tuesday that someone he knew suggested he pull out of the case early, but he refused.

"I knew that I couldn't go on with my life without representing myself," he said. "I'm never going to back down."

A six-woman, two-man jury determined Monday that Mueller groped Swift during a photo op before a concert in Denver in 2013. In keeping with Swift's request, they awarded her $1 in damages — an amount her attorney, Douglas Baldridge, called "a single symbolic dollar, the value of which is immeasurable to all women in this situation."

Mueller said he is thinking of giving Swift a Sacagawea dollar because the Native American is a prominent female.

"I mean if this is all about women's rights. ... It's a little poke at them, a little bit," he said. "I mean, I think they made this into a publicity stunt, and this is my life."

Swift's team initially tried to keep the accusation quiet by not reporting the incident to police, and instead contacting Mueller's bosses.

But it became public when Mueller sued Swift for up to $3 million, claiming her allegation cost him his $150,000-a-year job at country station KYGO-FM, where he was a morning host.

After Mueller sued, Swift countersued for assault and battery. During an hour of testimony last week, she blasted a low-key characterization by Mueller's attorney, Gabriel McFarland, of what happened. While Mueller testified he never grabbed Swift, she insisted she was groped.

Related listings

  • Amazon cuts about 16,000 corporate jobs in the latest round of layoffs

    Amazon cuts about 16,000 corporate jobs in the latest round of layoffs

    Employment Law 01/27/2026

    Amazon is slashing about 16,000 corporate jobs in the second round of mass layoffs for the ecommerce company in three months.The tech giant has said it plans to use generative artificial intelligence to replace corporate workers. It has also been red...

  • Boeing’s fighter jet workers in the St. Louis area reject a contract offer

    Boeing’s fighter jet workers in the St. Louis area reject a contract offer

    Employment Law 07/28/2025

    Boeing Co. expects more than 3,200 union workers at three St. Louis-area plants that produce U.S. fighter jets to strike after they rejected a proposed contract Sunday that included a 20% wage increase over four years. The International Machinists an...

  • Labor Law Attorneys in Queens, NY - Seo Law Group, PLLC

    Labor Law Attorneys in Queens, NY - Seo Law Group, PLLC

    Employment Law 06/15/2025

    Experienced Advocates in Labor and Employment Law With years of experience representing both employees and employers, our firm has developed a comprehensive understanding of the legal challenges that arise in today’s workplaces. Our labor and e...

Business News

New York Adoption Lawyers Rosin Steinhagen Mendel is a law firm dedicated to serving our clients in New York City. >> read
Chicago Work Accident Lawyers at Krol, Bongiorno & Given have been a leader in the field of workers' compensation law. >> read