A lot has happened since the verdict on February 23rd that denied Kesha of a temporary injunction against her producer Dr. Luke, who is accused of verbal and physical abuse as well as sexual assault. The injunction would allow her to leave Dr. Luke and record music with a different producer under Sony Music while the case awaits action. After the judge’s decision, many female singers such as Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson and Lorde posted on social media to show their support. Taylor Swift even gave Kesha’s family $250,000 to help the artist with any possible financial troubles.
On March 9th, an article came out from The Wrap saying that Sony was going to cut ties with Dr. Luke before his contract expires in 2017 due to the court case. Fans were ecstatic (myself included), and we thought we would be able to hear some new material from the singer in the coming months. However, Dr. Luke’s attorney denied the statement, saying “Luke has an excellent relationship with Sony. His representatives are in regular contact with executives at the highest levels at Sony and this has never come up.”
The biggest blow for Kesha, her fans and supporters hit April 6th when a New York judge dismissed Kesha’s case and her accusations against Dr. Luke. The judge stated that because the alleged rape and abuse happened in California, as well as the incident having occurred beyond the legal time limit, there could be no jurisdiction over the case. The judge also mentioned that the singer "had failed to plead that any of the alleged discrimination occurred in New York state or city." On top of this, Kesha and her lawyer, Mark Geragos's argument that the abuse could and should be recognized as a hate crime was rejected by the judge who said that "every rape is not a gender-motivated hate crime."
"Every rape is not a gender-motivated hate crime."
Thank you, New York judge, but every rape is still a rape. Every rape is punishable by law. Looking at the other side, I understand that there may not be enough physical evidence to prove Kesha's claims. I understand that Dr. Luke has a strong piece of evidence against Kesha: a video from 2011 of Kesha saying that Dr. Luke never gave Kesha roofies and that he never made sexual advances toward her.
Despite the odds that are stacked against Kesha, her case exemplifies the kind of power relationship many female artists face: where the male is the smash hit producer who manufactures female pop stars.
This is not my last article on Kesha. Her voice needs to be reached and her story needs to be told, especially during this time of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. I will keep writing about her and the case until I hear an album that is produced on her own terms.
Kesha has quite a long road ahead of her, but I know she is not one to give up. Her passion for music is evident. On April 3rd, Kesha posted a no makeup selfie on Instagram with a caption that said she was offered to be released from her contract if she lied about being raped and publicly apologized about said lie. In her caption she also states "I will not take back the TRUTH. I would rather let the truth ruin my career than lie for a monster ever again." Kesha, the singer who has been fighting for her career for two years would rather leave the industry than lie for Dr. Luke and Sony Music's sake.
If Kesha can remain this passionate about her singing career, then the least I can do is spread that passion and her voice through writing and inform readers on the case. I support you, Kesha, and I only hope I can have others do the same.
