The DJ Who Groped Taylor Swift Finally Paid His $1 Settlement In The Most Fucked Up Way

Taylor Swift in concert
By AussieLegend / Wikimedia Commons

DJ David Mueller has officially paid Taylor Swift the money he owed her after he lost a defamation lawsuit earlier this year, but he did it in the absolute pettiest way. And honestly, it’s pretty insulting.

If you’ve forgotten about the lawsuit — though I’m sure you haven’t — here’s a quick recap: in 2013, after Swift accused Mueller of sticking his hand up her skirt during a backstage photo and notified the radio station he worked at, Mueller lost his job and was banned from going to T. Swift concerts indefinitely. A few years later, Mueller filed a defamation suit against Swift, demanding $3 million in reparations. Swift, who counter-sued Mueller, only asked for one symbolic dollar to show that it wasn’t about the money.

“My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard,” Swift said in a statement, referring to women who don’t have the money or influence to defend themselves in court. “Therefore, I will be making donations in the near future to multiple organizations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves.”

Swift went on to win the lawsuit in August, though it took Mueller until a week ago to finally give her the settlement. However, he did it pretty backhandedly, if you ask me: he mailed her a Sacagawea dollar coin.

But that was Mueller’s point. According to the Associated Press, he sent the coin, which featured a prominent Native American woman, as a final jab at Swift for making the trial about “all women,” believing it to be a publicity stunt.

“I mean if this is all about women’s rights. … It’s a little poke at them, a little bit,” he said about his idea to send a Sacagawea coin back in August. “I mean, I think they made this into a publicity stunt, and this is my life.”

Okay, Mueller, you’re really not helping your case.

Since the trial, Swift was featured in Time magazine’s piece about their Person of the Year, The Silence Breakers, for helping start the conversation around sexual harassment and misconduct. So yeah, I doubt Taylor Swift really cares about Mueller’s petty last stand. Thought Catalog Logo Mark

Callie is a writer, editor, and publisher at Thought Catalog. Her debut book, ‘The Words We Left Behind,’ was released in January 2024.

Keep up with Callie on Instagram, Twitter and calliebyrnes.com

More From Thought Catalog