Taylor Swift testifies in 'horrifying' DJ groping case

Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Taylor Swift appeared in court Thursday to testify in a civil case, claiming former Colorado DJ David Mueller groped her during a photo op in 2013.

Swift referred to the experience as "horrifying" and "shocking," saying Mueller, who was fired after the incident, intentionally reached under her skirt and grabbed her rear end during the photo shoot, People magazine reported.

Mueller, who has denied Swift's accusation, sued the musician for $150,000 in damages in September 2015. Later that year, Swift filed a countersuit that claimed Mueller committed assault.

That case, in federal court, led to Swift's testimony Thursday.

"It was a definite grab, [a] very long grab," Swift, 27, said in court. "It was long enough for me to be completely sure it was intentional."

"He stayed latched on my bare ass cheek as I lurched away from him, visibly uncomfortably," she said. "The first couple of milliseconds, I thought it must be a mistake. I moved to the side very quickly."

Swift said the move left her dejected -- "a light switched off in my personality" -- as she quickly stepped away and used a monotone voice to thank Mueller and his group for coming.

Attorneys for Mueller, who testified he did not grope Swift and was merely "jostling" for position, presented a photo from the meeting as evidence, saying Swift's skirt was not "ruffled, rumpled, affected in any form or fashion," CNN reported.

"Because my ass is located on the back of my body," Swift responded.

Swift was also asked about Mueller's girlfriend at the time, Shannon Melcher, who was standing closer to the singer and is smiling in the photo.

"Yeah, she did not have her hand on my ass," Swift said.

Swift's mother, Andrea Swift, testified that her daughter appeared upset in the photo.

"There's something going on in her eyes," she said. "The second I saw [the photo] I knew something was horribly wrong."

While Mueller stated his palm was "facing down" at the time, Swift maintained that he "stuck it right up" her skirt and said her description of the incident has been consistent.

"It happened to me. He had a handful of my ass. It happened to me. I know it was him," she said. "I didn't need a picture. I could have picked him out of a line of a thousand ... this is not alleged. I don't need you to grill me about the tiny details of this photograph."

Mueller claimed Swift's accusation was false and ultimately ruined his career as a radio DJ.

"It cost me my career. It cost me my income. It's been hard on my family. It's been hard on my friends," he said.

Swift was asked about her reaction to Mueller losing his job and the singer responded that the news had no effect on her.

"I didn't have a reaction to a strange person I didn't know losing his job ... that was a product of his decisions, not mine," she said. "I'm not going to let you or your client make me feel like this is my fault."