I'm Wonderstuck

Time magazine has named its Person of the Year, and sparked debate by choosing not one human being to represent 2017, but dozens, whom the publication calls the “silence breakers”. In a year when women’s experiences, some long-buried, have emerged in scorched-earth testimonies with major, culture-changing consequences, Time’s decision is a sage – if not wildly unpredictable – one.

The magazine has profiled a number of women – and men – who, by sharing their experiences of sexual assault and misconduct at the hands of powerful men, have changed the landscape of equality across entertainment, politics and technology. They include Rose McGowan, who was allegedly raped by disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, Meghan Kelly, the Fox News anchor whose testimony led to the ousting of US broadcaster Bill O'Reilly and Lindsey Reynolds, a food blogger who blew the whistle on her former boss, celebrity chef Josh Besh.

But the most recognisable face, and name, among them is Taylor Swift.

Her inclusion stands out: the newly publicity shy Swift has been avoiding interviews since releasing her sixth album, Reputation, offering Vogue a poem she had written rather than the opportunity to profile her. She is also considerably more famous than the other selected “silence breakers”, whose careers have, in some cases, been hampered by their experiences of assault.

Swift is at the tail-end of a consciously inflammatory album campaign and is, perhaps, better known for her high-profile relationships with celebrities such as Calvin Harris, or spats with famous rivals. Unlike actress Rose McGowan, her celebrity has not been recently re-branded with her experience of sexual assault.

Perhaps this is why so many people have been questioning Time’s decision to include Swift as a “silence breaker”. Within minutes of the article making an impact online, those who had seen the magazine’s front page, which features Swift, were moved to ask what, exactly, she had done to warrant being there.

But this summer, Swift did breake her silence. In August, after a lengthy court case, she won a symbolic dollar from former radio DJ David Mueller after he groped her in 2013 after an interview. Swift broke the silence at the time, when she reported the incident to Mueller’s radio station, which then fired him. But when he sued her for defamation, she counter-sued.

Swift was applauded for her bravery and frank wit while testifying against Mueller, as well as the meaningful statement after winning the case – she stated her aim was “to help those whose voices should be heard”. But amid the fuss over her album release and comeback singles, Swift’s noble actions were forgotten by some.

Swift explained her experiences to Time in writing, which they published as an interview. The singer writes that her frank statements were due to anger after a week of watching “this man’s attorney bully, badger and harass my team including my mother over inane details and ridiculous minutiae, accusing them, and me, of lying.” She adds that her mother was made ill as a result of her cross-examination.

Swift also gives an insight into how media coverage of the trial changed online reaction to her experience:

People have been largely very supportive of my story since the trial began in August, but before that, I spent two years reading headlines referring to it as ‘The Taylor Swift Butt Grab Case’ with internet trolls making a joke about what happened to me. The details were all skewed, as they often are. Most people thought I was suing him. There was an audible gasp in the courtroom when I was named as the defendant.

She also added an interesting, and previously unpublished, piece of information about Mueller:

“When the jury found in my favor, the man who sexually assaulted me was court-ordered to give me a symbolic $1. To this day he has not paid me that dollar, and I think that act of defiance is symbolic in itself.”

So yes, Swift did break the silence. She broke it in 2013, and she was sued. It took four years for her to be heard, and even then people forgot. By including her, Time are helping her voice be heard – not as a victim, nor a pop star, but as someone who encouraged others to speak out against sexual assault, too.