On Feb. 19, a judge denied a motion made by singer Kesha to release her from her contract with Sony. Kesha wanted to be released from the contract because it requires her to continue working with producer Dr. Luke. She has accused him of physically, verbally and sexually assaulting her for years, also claiming that Sony turned a blind eye to the abuse.
The ruling legally requires Kesha to produce six more albums under Dr. Luke’s label, though Sony has said she can work with a different producer. A photo taken in court Friday has gone viral, showing Kesha sobbing in the back of the courtroom immediately after the decision was announced. The way things currently stand, she must choose between giving up her music career entirely or continuing to work for her alleged abuser.
This is not the first time a producer has allegedly assaulted a young artist. Claiming she was inspired by Kesha’s bravery, Jackie Fuchs of the Runaways recently came forward to say her producer, Kim Fowley, had raped her decades ago in 1976. The disappointing results of Kesha’s decision to come forward may discourage other victims from reporting their abuse in the future.
Dr. Luke has denied all allegations of abuse, claiming Kesha simply wants an excuse to get out of her contract, and apparently the judge agreed. Shooting down the injunction, Justice Shirley Kornreich said, “You're asking the court to decimate a contract that was heavily negotiated and typical for the industry.”
It is a disheartening sign of the times when a young woman comes forward to say that she has suffered years of abuse and assault, only to find she will have to fight just to be believed. This is not to say that there has never been a false accusation of abuse or sexual assault, but the argument that Kesha lied to get ahead in her career or get out of a contract she just didn’t want anymore makes no sense. She has lost so much and gained nothing through this process, paying countless legal fees while she is unable to release any music whatsoever. Stuck in a contract battle, Kesha has not released a song since her 2013 collaboration with Pitbull, “Timber.” And yet when people see a young woman sobbing in the back of a courtroom — a young woman who was only 18 when she began working with Dr. Luke, a young woman who has since gone to rehab for an eating disorder (a result, she says, of the alleged abuse), a young woman who has asked for nothing more than to be free from her abuser – the instinct is still to think, “Well, she could have made it all up.” While Kesha fights to be believed, Bill Cosby still has some defending his innocence even though the total number of women who have come forward to accuse him of sexual violence is now over 50.
Kesha lost her lawsuit because her allegations highlighted too many realities we’d much rather ignore. It is uncomfortable for us to acknowledge that our sparkly, smiley pop stars might be living a far darker reality when the curtain comes down. We can’t stand to imagine that a powerful, well-connected man who helps a young woman gain fame and fortune might take advantage of his power and mistreat that woman. We can’t handle the idea that when a young woman finds the courage to accuse someone of abuse, she might actually be telling the truth. Kesha is paying the price for that.
Nora Walls is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She may be reached at n.walls@cavalierdaily.com.
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