The former radio DJ who lost to Taylor Swift in an iconic legal battle after he groped the "I Knew You Were Trouble" singer during a photo op said he mailed the $1 last week.
It's been several months since Swift won that landmark court victory. David Mueller sued Swift for allegedly making false sexual harassment allegations against him, which he claimed had ruined his career. He sought $3 million in damages.
Swift countersued. For $1 — and won. A Denver, Colorado federal jury ruled in her favor after an intense, sharply worded cross-examination that went viral online.
"I'm told it was the most amount of times the word 'ass' has ever been said in Colorado Federal Court," Swift said in an interview with Time, which named her as one of its Person of the Year, comprising a collective of industry whistleblowers who spoke bravely about their experiences of sexual harassment.
In the interview, Swift said she's yet to receive the "symbolic $1" from Mueller, yet he told Associated Press that he already mailed her the court-ordered fine last week.
Mueller said he sent Swift a Sacagawea coin on Nov. 28, providing AP proof of payment. He admitted that the coin — featuring a Native American woman — was a deliberate jab at Swift.
"I mean if this is all about women's rights. ... It's a little poke at them, a little bit," said Mueller. "I mean, I think they made this into a publicity stunt, and this is my life."
There's been a massive shift in the entertainment industry with regard to sexual harassment, most notably after several women bravely came forward and accused producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, misconduct, and even rape. The multiple instances of relentless whistleblowing rippled all throughout Hollywood, affecting other industries as it raged on. Suddenly, voices were being heard. Stories were being told. Men were being forced to own up to their crimes and wrongdoings. People were being fired. Reputations were being tarnished. Justice, if only a little bit of it, was being done.
At least for Swift, that is. So many women who have come forward have been met with ridicule, shame, and even victim-blaming, including Swift herself. How certain people responded after these women spoke up highlights that there's more work to be done.
The Grammy-winning singer advises those coming to terms with their own sexual assault story not to blame themselves.
"You could be blamed for the fact that it happened, for reporting it and blamed for how you reacted," said Swift. "You should not be blamed for waiting 15 minutes or 15 days or 15 years to report sexual assault or harassment, or for the outcome of what happens to a person after he or she makes the choice to sexually harass or assault you."
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