Taylor Swift is a woman of her word.
Following her victory in a court case against a disc jockey who groped her in 2013, the “Blank Space” singer is making good on a promise to donate money to help victims of sexual assault.
Among the organizations benefitting from Swift’s generosity is actress Mariska Hargitay’s Joyful Heart Foundation.
“Taylor is aware of the Joyful Heart Foundation and follows our work,” Joyful Heart’s CEO Maile M. Zambuto told The Huffington Post. “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.”
“I think it was really important to see someone like Taylor to stand up to her abuser so publicly because there’s so much secrecy and shame associated with sexual assault,” Zambuto added. “Taylor had a choice to do this quietly– to risk less — and instead, she took this path as a survivor and as a symbol of strength and a source for so many survivors who feel really alone.”
We are grateful to @taylorswift13 for her courage and generosity & thank all those who commit to a world where we boldly #SupportSurvivors.
— Joyful Heart (@TheJHF) August 16, 2017
On Monday, August 14, Swift was awarded $1 after a jury ruled in her favor in a countersuit against DJ David Mueller, who claims he was falsely accused of groping the singer. He sued Swift after the incident, claiming he was wrongfully fired because of it.
Swift issued a statement after her victory, announcing plans for charitable donations.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
It should come as no surprise that Hargitay’s charity is one of the first to benefit from Swift’s donations, as the Law & Order star previously worked with Taylor in her “Bad Blood” music video.
“The experience of sexual assault and domestic violence can be extremely isolating,” said Hargitay, who founded the organization in 2004. “One of the most important points we make to survivors is this: you are not alone.”
“I hope that Taylor’s very public experience ― and her decision to speak out ― not only helps empower other victims to speak up and take action, but offers them solidarity,” Hargitay told The Huffington Post. “I’m honored by her dedication and commitment to these issues, and I’m deeply grateful for her support of the Joyful Heart Foundation.”
The amount of Taylor’s donation was not revealed, but Zambuto did say it was an “extremely generous financial investment in the movement to end sexual violence.”
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