The gossip hounds have shared the controversial photo, which is central to the legal battle between the pop star and former radio DJ David Mueller.
Mueller originally filed a civil slander lawsuit against Swift in Colorado, claiming that her allegations that he groped her during a meet-and-greet cost him his job. The singer filed a countersuit, with the photo in question being submitted as evidence.
Though Swift's request to keep the personal image out of the public eye was granted, TMZ took the liberty of posting it online. What's more, the site claims that "it's hard to see how this pic unduly prejudices anyone."
It seems that TMZ doesn't understand the sensitive nature of this lawsuit. According to Swift, this photo captures the moment she was sexually assaulted.
"Right as the moment came for us to pose for the photo, he took his hand and put it up my dress and grabbed onto my ass cheek and no matter how much I scooted over, it was still there," she said in her videotaped deposition. "It was completely intentional, I've never been so sure of anything in my life."
“I remember being frantic, distressed, feeling violated in a way I had never experienced before,” Swift told the court. “A meet-and-greet is supposed to be a situation where you’re thanking people for coming. You’re supposed to be welcoming people into your home, which is the arena for that day, and for someone to violate that hospitality in that way, I was completely stunned.”
We're stunned that TMZ is taking this so lightly and acting as judge and jury on the case — oh, and poisoning the jury pool for a crime that's notoriously difficult to prosecute.
Refinery29
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