Taylor Swift wins right to seal groping lawsuit photo

22 Oct 2016 |

A Colorado judge has approved Taylor Swift's request to seal a key photo in her groping lawsuit until trial.The Shake It Off star is currently fighting legal action from former radio host David Mueller, who claims he lost his job at Denver's KYGO station after Taylor falsely accused him of touching her butt backstage during a meet-and-greet at a 2013 concert in the city.

The 26-year-old singer countersued for sexual assault and battery in October, 2015, insisting she is telling the truth, and asked for a jury trial to resolve the matter. Last week (ends14Oct16), her lawyers filed papers seeking to keep evidence in the case, including a picture from the alleged incident, out of the public eye, insisting it is "extremely personal and sensitive in nature".

Her lawyers also raised concerns the snap would sway the opinion of potential jurors and be shared "for scandalous and prurient interests", and now the judge overseeing the case has agreed, reports TMZ.com.In the ruling, the official stated, "The widespread dissemination of this image might significantly complicate jury selection."

However, the judge didn't grant all of Taylor's requests, insisting other evidence in the case, which she had also asked to be sealed, is "entirely ordinary and mundane".The development emerges three months after it was revealed Taylor's taped deposition would also be kept from public viewing unless the case goes to trial.Mueller, who originally sued the star for loss of wages, has always maintained Swift was groped by another worker at the station.