Taylor Swift on Tuesday addressed her Tampa, Florida fans with an empowering message. Photo / Getty Images
Taylor Swift on Tuesday addressed her Tampa, Florida fans with an empowering message. Photo / Getty Images
Taylor Swift on Tuesday addressed her Tampa, Florida fans with an empowering message as she looked back on the trial she was involved in last year involving a Denver radio personality she claimed groped her five years ago.
With Tuesday marking the one-year anniversary of the court's verdict - she won a symbolic $1 against the radio personality - the 28-year-old singer addressed her fans at Raymond James Stadium about the toll the incident - and subsequent legal battle - took on her, reports Daily Mail.
"A year ago I was not playing in a sold-out stadium in Tampa, I was in a courtroom in Denver, Colorado.
"This is the day the jury sided in my favor and said that they believed me," she said.
In 2013, DJ David Mueller grabbed Swift's backside as they posed for a photograph at the Pepsi Stadium.
On Tuesday, Swift said she does not know how her life would have changed if she hadn't been believed.
"I guess I just think about all the people that weren't believed and the people who haven't been believed and the people who are afraid to speak up because they think they won't be believed," she said.
Swift empathized with her audience on what if feels like to have one's truth questioned.
"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 somebody didn't believe me when I said something had happened to me."
Swift shared with her audience her gratitude for their support amid the difficult life experience.
Swift sued over a 2013 incident at the Pepsi Center in which she said Mueller (R) inappropriately touched her. Photo / TMZ
"I just wanted to say we have so, so, so, so much further to go, and I'm so grateful to you guys for being there for me for what was a really, really, horrible part of my life," she said.
"I wanted to thank you for just kind of… I mean I know when I meet you guys at meet-and-greets 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."
Swift told the audience that she was choked up after holding in her thoughts over the incident.
"I just haven't really talked about it," she said, "and so I'm just not composed at all."
She said she was thankful for the loyalty of her fans who have supported her through the "ups and downs".
"You guys have seen me go through so many ups and downs in my life just due to the public nature of my life.
"I am so happy to see you and to have you and to know you.
The crowd took waved dollar bills in a symbolic response to Taylor's emotional statement.
The legal saga began when Mueller sued the singer after being fired from his job.
Swift herself did not demand it but it was a member of her security team who alerted his superiors.
He wanted $3million from her, claiming she deliberately defamed his character and affected his ability to work. Swift reacted with a counter lawsuit and was successful.
In her complaint, she said: "He took his hand and put it up my dress and grabbed onto my ass cheek.
