Domino’s pizza guy saves woman’s life, then gets to meet Taylor Swift He spotted her subtle cry for help over her kidnapper’s shoulder and took immediate action. Joey Grundl, Domino’s, pizza delivery, hero, rescue, kidnapped, Taylor Swift, Reputation Tour, Wisconsin, WITI Milwaukee Joey Grundy the delivery driver speaks on camera WITI Milwaukee | YouTube By Tod Perry, GOOD Staff Nov 04, 2025 It’s one of those classic “right place, right time” stories that’s resonating with audiences all over again. Joey Grundl, a Domino’s pizza delivery driver in Waldo, Wisconsin, was just doing his job when he was thrust into a life-or-death situation and hailed as a hero. Grundl was delivering a pizza when the door was answered by a man, Dean Hoffman. But it was what Grundl saw over Hoffman’s shoulder that set off alarms. He spotted a middle-aged woman with a visible injury who was desperately, and silently, trying to get a message to him. Go Deeper Domino’s pizza guy saves woman’s life then meets Taylor Swift Domino’s pizza guy saves woman’s life then meets Taylor Swift Pizza delivery driver Joey Grundl speaks in an interview Pizza guy whose quick thinking saved a woman’s life gets the reward of a lifetime “I gave him his pizza, and then I noticed behind him was his girlfriend,” Grundl told WITI Milwaukee. “She pointed to a black eye that was quite visible. She mouthed the words, ‘Call the police.'” Joey Grundl, Domino’s, pizza delivery, hero, rescue, kidnapped, Taylor Swift, Reputation Tour, Wisconsin, WITI Milwaukee YouTube Sign Up for The Daily GOOD! Get our free newsletter delivered to your inbox Grundl kept his composure, finished the transaction, and walked back to his car. The moment he was safely inside, he dialed 911. “I had a delivery. It was a middle-aged couple. The woman clearly had a black eye. She pointed to it, and I swear she mouthed ‘help me,'” he told the 911 operator. Police were dispatched to the home. Hoffman tried to block them from entering, but they eventually got inside and arrested him. The details that emerged later revealed just how dire the situation was. The woman, Hoffman’s ex-girlfriend, told authorities she believed he would have killed her that night. He had shown up uninvited, punched her in the face, and “hog-tied” her with a vacuum power cord. “If you love me, you will let me go,” she pleaded, but he reportedly replied, “You know I can’t do that.” She also told police he had threatened to shoot them both with a gun he had in his car. Joey Grundl, Domino’s, pizza delivery, hero, rescue, kidnapped, Taylor Swift, Reputation Tour, Wisconsin, WITI Milwaukee Police car parked outside a home Canva “I’m grateful (the delivery driver) was paying attention, because it could have been a lot worse,” a neighbor, Amy Hammarlund, told the press. The story of the hero pizza guy went viral, but it had a second, unexpected chapter. When Grundl gave his TV interviews, he was wearing a Taylor Swift “Reputation Tour” hoodie. Swift’s fans, the “Swifties,” immediately sprang into action, tagging the superstar in photos of the hero. Grundl, a big fan, already had tickets to an upcoming Swift concert. When Swift learned of his heroic act, she arranged for him to come backstage. “She knew who I was,” Grundl jokingly tweeted after the show. “I’m thoroughly convinced Taylor gave me a cold.” Joey Grundl, Domino’s, pizza delivery, hero, rescue, kidnapped, Taylor Swift, Reputation Tour, Wisconsin, WITI Milwaukee Gif of Taylor Swift making heart sign with her hands via Giphy The entire experience was, understandably, a whirlwind. “This has been one of the most exciting weeks of my life,” Grundl said at the time. “I’m legitimately getting emotional and I almost never get like this… I guess I can really say I’m doing better than I ever was.” This article originally appeared 6 years ago.
What started as a routine pizza delivery in Waldo, Wisconsin turned into a rescue that made national headlines. Joey Grundl, a Domino’s driver, was simply dropping off an order when he unintentionally stepped into the middle of a terrifying situation — one that could have cost a woman her life.
Grundl knocked on the door expecting a typical handoff. Instead, he was greeted by a man later identified as Dean Hoffman. But something immediately felt wrong. Behind Hoffman, just barely visible, stood a woman with a swollen black eye, silently trying to communicate that she needed help.
A quiet plea that changed everything
“I gave him the pizza, and then I saw his girlfriend behind him,” Grundl told WITI Milwaukee. “She pointed to her black eye, and she mouthed, ‘Call the police.’”
He didn’t freeze. He didn’t panic. He finished the delivery as if nothing unusual had happened, walked calmly back to his car, and the moment he was out of sight, he called 911.
“I swear she mouthed ‘help me,’” he told the dispatcher. His quick reaction may have saved her life.
Police uncover a night of horror
Officers arrived and were initially blocked from entering the home, but eventually forced their way in. They found Hoffman’s ex-girlfriend injured, traumatized, and tied up with a vacuum cord. She later told investigators she believed Hoffman was planning to kill her that night — especially after he threatened to shoot both of them with the gun he kept in his car.
A neighbor later said, “I’m so grateful he was paying attention… it could have ended much worse.”
What happened next surprised everyone
After Joey’s heroic act made the news, viewers noticed something fun in his TV interviews: he was wearing a Taylor Swift “Reputation Tour” hoodie. Swifties noticed instantly — and so did Taylor Swift.
Fans flooded social media with messages urging Swift to acknowledge the brave delivery driver. Joey already had tickets to one of her shows, but Swift took it a step further: she invited him backstage.
When he met her, she already knew who he was.
“Taylor knew who I was,” he tweeted afterward. “I’m pretty sure she gave me her cold.”
He joked, but the moment was real — and emotional.
Looking back on the whirlwind of events, Grundl said, “This has been one of the most exciting weeks of my life. I’m honestly emotional — that never happens. I can truly say I’m doing better than I ever was.”
A simple delivery, a silent plea, a brave decision… and a hero who ended up meeting his favorite superstar.