Pop sensation Kesha was denied the right to void her six-album contract after a lengthy legal battle with her producer, Lukasz Sebastian "Dr. Luke" Gottwald. Allegedly, Gottwald abused abusing Kesha sexually, physically, emotionally and verbally for the last decade. A New York judge deprived Kesha of a court injunction that would have permitted her to record new music outside of her record label Sony Music and collaborating with Gottwald. Outside the courtroom, people gathered to protest Sony Music in support for Kesha.
“Kesha’s music inspired me to celebrate who I am. She was there for me, now I'm here for her. I also think this issue is way beyond Kesha and her fans. Whether her music has helped you or not, Kesha is losing the right to share her art for coming forward about sexual abuse,” Former NHS student and organizer of the rally said.
In January 2013, Kesha entered the Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center in Lemont, Illinois where she stayed for a month while battling an eating disorder, bulimia nervosa. Many assumed Kesha was in rehab for issues related to extensive partying due to her infamously racy song lyrics; however, that was not the case. Six months after her experience in rehabilitation, Kesha opened up about her eating disorder. Nonetheless, she neglected to mention that the bulk of the pressure arose from her producer.
"I felt like part of my job was to be as skinny as possible and, to make that happen, I had been abusing my body," Kesha wrote in her op-ed in Elleuk.com. "I just wasn't giving it the energy it needed to keep me healthy and strong."
Kesha later announced that the extent of her eating disorder was stimulated by her producer, and ideals that she needed to look a certain way as a celebrity. Kesha's mother, Pebe Sebert, told People that Gottwald had pressured her daughter to lose weight, comparing her to a refrigerator.
During an interview with Rolling Stone magazine in 2013, Kesha admitted to Gottwald’s heavy influence on her songwriting. A petition to remove Kesha from her recording contract was circulated amongst fans shortly after.
"What's been put out as singles have just perpetuated a particular image that may or may not be entirely accurate," Kesha said. "I'd like to show the world other sides of my personality."
Aside from the emotional and verbal abuse inflicted by Gottwald, Kesha also made accusations that she was sexually abused. In October of 2014, Kesha filed a lawsuit stating that Gottwald drugged her and sexually assaulted her. The suit indicated that Gottwald made advances on Kesha while she was under the influence on multiple occasions. According to the suit, Kesha’s continued association with the record company would be life threatening.
The New York Supreme Court said her allegations were vague and there was no medical evidence provided to back up her claims of abuse, therefore she could not be free from her contract.
“Her lack of evidence is being used to disregard her case, but how can you expect someone who was intimidated and bullied into silence for years to provide proof? A majority of sexual assault instances go unreported yet still deserve to be taken seriously. It’s just really troubling to watch this happen to someone who means so much to me, and the systemic issue this case represents only makes me want to fight harder for her,” Eisele said.
Demi Lovato, Lorde, Miley Cyrus and Kelly Clarkson are just a few among many stars who have showed their support for Kesha via Twitter and Instagram. Taylor Swift donated $25,000 as a source of financial support for Kesha during her “trying time”. Fans have been promoting a “free Kesha” hashtag on Twitter in order to display their grievances over the verdict and support for Kesha.
Image Courtesy of weekendcollective.com