Kesha Rose Sebert, age 29, better known by her former stage name, Ke$ha, has definitely made a statement since she signed with Kemosabe Records in 2005. Between her bold appearance, edgy lyrics, and overall unique vibe, Kesha’s public image has not changed since her first days in the business. However, if you take a look behind the scenes, Kesha is broken.
Before 2013, Kesha’s relationship with her producer, Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald, seemed normal. Gottwald, dubbed “Dr. Luke,” contributed greatly to Kesha’s success, producing many of her hits such as “Tick Tok,” “Die Young,” and her most famous album, “Animal.”
This duo appeared to be in unison and unstoppable. However, to the public’s surprise, this isn’t the truth. In October of 2013, Kesha filed a lawsuit against Dr. Luke—a suit ten years in the making.
According to the suit, Dr. Luke had “sexually, physically, verbally, and emotionally abused Ms. Sebert to the point where Ms. Sebert nearly lost her life” for the past decade. This lawsuit also claimed that “Ms. Sebert wholly believed that Dr. Luke had the power and money to carry out his threats; she therefore never dared talk about, let alone report, what Dr. Luke had done to her.”
Legal terms and actions aside, the main message Kesha is trying to express in filing this lawsuit is that she no longer wants to be tied to Kemosabe Records, Dr. Luke’s branch of the major company Sony Music, and wishes to void her contract. Kesha refuses to continue her music career under Dr. Luke’s name in the toxic environment he has created. In response to this, Dr. Luke countersued as well as denying any rape or abuse that Kesha claimed took place.
One may ask, if this suit was filed in 2013 and Kesha has been trying to get out of her major Sony contract since 2014, why has there been buzz about this case recently, in 2016?
On February 19 of this year, Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich ruled against the request to liberate Kesha of her contract. Thinkprogress.org comments, “The judge’s ruling reads as particularly callous considering what Kesha alleges she has been through and her purported reasons for wanting an escape strategy from what she describes as a horrifying, untenable experience.”
Kesha, along with her fairly large fan base, were left emotional and disgusted with Kornreich’s ruling to keep Kesha’s contract, as this pop icon is being forced to continue to be associated with her abuser, virtually in the same position as before.
Through this difficult time, Kesha’s fans have started a movement to spread their love: #FreeKesha. This hashtag has been trending all over Twitter and other social media sites, proving her dedicated support system.
Not only do Kesha’s fans believe that she deserves to be freed from her contract, other celebrities have reached out and tweeted using the #FreeKesha. For example, up-and-coming singer Bea Miller tweeted, “The fact that Kesha either has to choose to either freely make music or avoid the person who abused her is outrageous and degrading #FreeKesha.”
