Taylor Swift Makes ‘Extremely Generous’ Donation to Sexual Assault Organization
Taylor Swift is a woman of her word. Just days after winning a symbolic one dollar judgment against a man who was accused of groping her in 2013, she has made a "very generous" donation to the Joyful Heart Foundation to help other women who have been victims of sexual assault.
Swift won a unanimous jury verdict on Monday (Aug. 14) against David Mueller, a former Denver radio personality she accused of groping her at a meet and greet in 2013. She asked for just one dollar in her suit, saying after the verdict, "I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this. My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard. Therefore, I will be making donations in the near future to multiple organizations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves."
Mariska Hargitay, who's most recognized for her role as Detective Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU, founded the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004 after receiving a number of letters from viewers about their experiences. Joyful Heart Foundation CEO Maile M. Zambuto tells the Huffington Post that her organization is just one of several that will benefit from Swift’s generosity.
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"Taylor is aware of the Joyful Heart Foundation and follows our work," Zambuto says. "Her team got in touch with me and we talked a lot about her commitment, all along throughout this ordeal, to wanting to be of service to survivors."
The amount of Swift's donation has not been made public, but Zambuto characterized it as an "extremely generous financial investment in the movement to end sexual violence." She says the money will go toward three of the foundation’s main initiatives in healing programs, educational work and advocacy work.
Mueller continued to protest his innocence on Tuesday (Aug. 15) in an interview with ABC News, saying he may file an appeal.
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