With her mother by her side, Kesha Rose Sebert sobbed when she heard the judge’s verdict that she is still contractually obliged to the man who allegedly abused her.
Once one of the hottest names in music, the 28-year-old hasn’t released a single song since suing Dr Luke (Lukasz Gottwald), 42, for sexual assault in 2014.
Kesha claimed in the suit that her longtime mentor, who she signed with at the tender age of 18, forced her to snort powder before getting on a plane “and during the trip he forced himself on her while she was drugged”.
Just two weeks before her court date, a video of Kesha singing Amazing Grace went viral online. You can watch a snippet of it below. (Post continues after video).
The ‘Timber’ singer also detailed an occasion where Dr Luke fed her what he called ‘sober pills’, only for her to wake up “naked in Dr Luke’s bed, sore, sick… and with no memory of how she got there”.
At one point, Kesha says he also called her a “fat f***ing refrigerator.”
She claims the incidents occurred between 2005 and 2008.
The messy case, and subsequent halting of her singing career, has potentially destroyed her chances of a comeback in what is an incredibly competitive and fast-paced industry.
In October 2015, the pop singer-songwriter requested to be have her contract with Kemosabe absolved so she could pursue collaborations outside Dr Luke and the label Kemosabe. Today that request was denied because the judge wanted to do “the commercially reasonable thing”.
“You’re asking the court to decimate a contract that was heavily negotiated and typical for the industry,” Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich to Mark Geragos, the attorney for Kesha.
Kornreich considered the fact that Dr Luke had invested a substantial amount in the singer – $60 million in her career – to ‘decimate the argument’ put forward but Kesha’s lawyers. His willingness for her to work with other producers while remaining signed to his label was also viewed favourably by the Justice.
Meanwhile, Dr. Luke counters that all of Kesha’s claims are “blatant extortion.”
Shortly after the singer brought legal action against him, Dr Luke countersued his former star saying she fabricated the allegations to get out of her contract.
The courtroom doors opened onto a gathering of angry protesters, each holding colourful signs that read “Free Kesha Now”.
“This is disgusting. She doesn’t deserve this,” one fan told The New York Post outside court. Kesha approached her fans, comforting her supporters with hugs, telling them “it’s OK,” after the proceeding.
Do you agree with Justice Shirley Kornreich’s decision today?
Featured images via Getty.
Top Comments
Gee I really feel for her. This is a really tricky one though, because on one hand I feel that she would not sabotage her own career unless there was something to this, but then on the other hand of he hasn't been convicted of anything it's her word against his. But surely you would think there is another way other than forcing her to work with soneone that she is clearly very distressed about working with, and even if she isn't directly working with him, if he is a predator you can be the will make his presence known to her.
She is very clearly greatly distressed about working with him, and actually this raises the issue anyway should someone be forced to work with someone , whether the person raped them or not, that they have grown to detest. No easy answers here.
If he has done this then he has possibly done it before and if that's the case I hope other women come forward as that would help her case.
She has a contract with him, the court is merely enforcing it.
I'm not totally up to date on her case but if it only 'allegedly' happened the court really doesn't have much of a choice.