DJ accused of groping Taylor Swift: She’s ruined my reputation

The former DJ accused of groping Taylor Swift took the stand in Denver federal court Tuesday, insisting he never touched the pop star “inappropriately” during a backstage meet-and-greet in 2013.

“It’s a humiliating experience to be accused of something that despicable,” testified David Mueller, who co-hosted a morning show for the Denver radio station KYGO before being fired over the alleged grope.

The civil trial involves dueling lawsuits filed by Mueller and Swift. Mueller, who wants at least $3 million in damages, claims Swift had falsely accused him of fondling her during the June 2 meet-up at Denver’s Pepsi Center and got him fired from his $150,000-a-year job with KYGO.

Swift, who’s only asking for $1, countersued for assault and battery, saying she wants to hold him accountable for his actions.

The 10-time Grammy Award winner sat with her mom, Andrea, as the trial got under way Tuesday, her hair pulled back in a bun.

Swift remained stoic throughout Mueller’s testimony and smiled during a break in the proceedings. She also gave a wave to the more than two dozen fans who showed up at court to support her.

On the stand, Mueller recounted the photo he took with Swift and his girlfriend, Shannon Melcher, during the meet-and-greet, saying he’d jumped into the shot with his “right arm extended” and “hand closed.”

“My hand came into contact with part of [Swift’s] body. I felt . . . what seemed to be a rib cage,” he told the eight-person jury. “I know our arms touched. Not sure if they were touching at the time of the photograph.”

Mueller said he never touched Swift “inappropriately” — or underneath her dress, as she alleges.

Afterward, he ran into his boss at KYGO, Eddie Haskell, who told him he’d given Taylor a hug and had his “hand on her butt,” Mueller testified.

“Taylor must wear bike shorts under her outfit,” Haskell said, according to Mueller.

Later, one of Swift’s security guards came up and accused Mueller of grabbing her, showing him the photo they’d just taken together, he said.

“He asked me if I touched her. I said, ‘I did touch her. I was posing for a photograph with Taylor and my girlfriend,’ ” Mueller testified.

Frank Bell, Swift’s radio promotions director, then told him he’d been banned from her concerts.

The next day, Mueller attended a meeting with Haskell and KYGO vice president Bob Call — and secretly recorded it. He said he’d made it clear he never touched Swift “inappropriately.”

“I got the impression that they were thinking about getting rid of me,” said Mueller, who was fired the next day.

During a heated cross-examination, Swift’s lawyer J. Douglas Baldridge grilled Mueller on why he destroyed electronic devices that had a complete audio recording of the meeting with his bosses.

Mueller testified he’d simply spilled coffee on his computer, accidentally shattered his iPad and destroyed his phone while hiking.