Kesha’s Legal Battle

Sahar Sebghati, Reviews Editor

In 2014 pop singer Kesha sued her Sony music producer, Dr. Luke, saying that he subjected her to verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, for the past decade. Last week, the New York Supreme Court dismissed her case that would let her cut her contract. Her contract states that she must continue to work with her abuser, and make 6 more albums for them.

Many of her fellow singers came to her support after hearing the tragic news. Singers like Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, and Ariana Grande tweeted their support. Taylor Swift made a $250,000 donation to Kesha, considering she probably has some pretty hefty legal fees to take care of. Adele took a moment at the end of her speech at the Brit Awards to publicly say she supports Ke$ha.

The verdict shows the nasty side of the music industry. An industry in which someone’s money and a record labels reputation, means more than the safety and justice of a human being. In a world of ever-growing rape culture, it shows that even a celebrity rape case isn’t taken seriously. The fact that the court dismissed her case brings to the surface the reasons why many women are unable to come forward with sexual abuse. Because many people take the side of the man, which leads to victim blaming.

For now, Kesha is still with Sony and Dr. Luke. The female judge has reserved a motion that she will dismiss the claims, until Kesha and her team came file more “evidence.” Numerous fans have created Go Fund Me pages to help fundraise money to buy her out of her contract. Bystanders can stand by her side and support her through this devastating time.

In a recent post on her Facebook, Ke$ha writes, “Yes, I am very much a feminist, but more than that, I am a humanist. I believe in supporting my fellow human beings in being SAFE. We’re all in this together. You are not alone.”

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