A year ago, Taylor Swift was going through a particularly tough patch in her life, as it was around this time last year that she was testifying in court against David Mueller, the Denver radio DJ who was accused of groping Swift. Yesterday was actually the one-year anniversary of the day that a jury found Mueller guilty of assaulting and battering Swift. Last night, Swift brought her Reputation tour to Tampa, Florida, where she decided to take a couple minutes to reflect on that challenging time.
Seated at a piano, Swift spoke to the crowd, and she was visibly and audibly getting choked up as she talked about the trial. She also spoke about victims of abuse, saying she’s thankful that her accusations were taken seriously, and that she wishes all situations like hers would be handled similarly:
“A year ago, I was not playing in a stadium in Tampa. I was in a courtroom in Denver, Colorado. Honestly, I was there for a sexual assault case, and this day a year ago was the day the jury sided in my favor and said that they believed me. […] I just think about all of 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 that they won’t be believed. 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 that something had happened to me.”
She concluded by thanking her fans for their support and understanding, and expressing how grateful she is for the relationship she has with them:
“We have so, so, so much further to go, and I’m so grateful to you guys for being there for me during what was a really, really horrible part of my life. I wanted to thank you for everything. 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. You guys have seen me go through so many ups and downs in my life just due to the public nature of the way my life is, and I wanted to say that I’m so happy to see you and to have you and know you through the ups and downs of my life, so thank you.”
Watch Swift’s speech above, and revisit our review of Swift’s Reputation tour here.
