In October 2014, pop singer Kesha filed a lawsuit against music producer Dr. Luke for drugging and raping her.
In the lawsuit the singer also claims that Dr. Luke had tried to gain control over her life, starting when she was 18 years old. One of the incidences that are described in the lawsuit is Dr. Luke forcing Kesha to take “sober pills” (gamma-hydroxybutrate) one night and then waking up the next morning being sick and naked in the producer’s bed, not knowing how she had gotten there.
She also explains how Dr. Luke would be “bragging how he liked to get girls drunk and have sex with them and blackmailing his pregnant wife into getting an abortion by not speaking to her for six months and threatening to leave.”
Kesha, who has been signed to Dr. Luke’s record label Kemosabe Records, which is under Sony Music, since 2005, now fears for her career.
She claims that the producer threatened to ruin her and her family if she ever told anyone about her story. Dr. Luke also threatened to take away Kesha’s publishing rights to her music. These threats also contributed to her eating disorder which she went to rehab for in 2014.
All of this made Kesha write letters to both Kemosabe Records and Sony Music asking them if she could record an album for Sony without having to work with Dr. Luke. Kesha’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, stated that Sony does not want to work with Kesha unless she agrees to work with Kemosabe and Dr. Luke.
Her current contract states that the singer has to record three more albums for Sony. Kesha also claims that either Sony Music knew all along about the abuse and ignored it, or that they intentionally protected Dr. Luke. Sony has declined to comment.
Now the pop singer is at a critical point in her career. She either has to go along with Sony and agree to work with her abuser, or she can watch her career die. She doesn’t have many other options as other record labels won’t work with her because they’re afraid of being sued for tortuous interference.
We imagine that being forced to work with someone who allegedly abused you for ten years must take a big toll on Kesha’s mental health. Especially after being brave enough to come forward and reveal what happened to her.
No matter what, we admire Kesha for fighting for herself and her career, and we hope it inspires other victims to speak up about their abuse.
Send us a tweet at @CelebMix and tell us what you think of this story.