Kesha has spent much of 2016 going in and out of court. There was a lot of civil action, with Kesha trying to break her contract with Dr. Luke, her long-time producer. Kesha told the world that Dr. Luke had abused her, raped her and stolen her voice in more ways than one. She chose to fight back legally, and the New York judge hearing Kesha’s initial case and her appeal did not agree with Kesha’s argument. Kesha is still legally and contractually tied to Dr. Luke, and he still has a contractual say in what she performs, how she performs and if she performs. It’s absolutely the worst. And now Kesha is saying that she doesn’t have the will to fight on one front anymore. Kesha announced last night that she’s dropping her Calfornia-based lawsuit against Dr. Luke.
Kesha’s top priority is getting back to her music. On Monday, the singer’s attorney, Daniel M. Petrocelli, revealed she has dropped her claims in a California lawsuit against longtime producer Dr. Luke.
“Kesha has dismissed her California action without prejudice while she pursues her appeal and other legal claims in the New York courts,” Petrocelli said in a statement to PEOPLE. “Kesha is focused on getting back to work and has delivered 28 new songs to the record label. We have conveyed to Sony Music and the label Kesha’s strong desire to release her next album and single as soon as possible.”
Kesha later took to Instagram releasing a statement of her own.
“My fight continues. I need to get my music out. I have so much to say. This lawsuit is so heavy on my once free spirit, and I can only pray to one day feel that happiness again,” she wrote. “I am continuing to fight for my righs in New York. Thank you for all your support. The support of my fans has been so beautiful and I’m so grateful for it. I’m not sure where I would be without you all.”
Luke’s attorney responded in a statement to PEOPLE, saying that Kesha’s voluntary dismissal is a sign that she was going to lose the legal battle in court.
“If Kesha is voluntarily dismissing her claims in the California case, it is because she has no chance of winning them,” Christine Lepera said. “Earlier this year, she lost her meritless counterclaims against Dr. Luke in the New York Action. Recently, the California Court invited Dr. Luke and the other defendants to move to dismiss Kesha’s claims in that action. Kesha should never have brought her false and meritless claims against Dr. Luke in any court. Dr. Luke’s defamation and other claims against Kesha are still proceeding.”
This is the message to women in the music industry: you’re on your own. Are you being sexually harassed? Are your producers supplying you with drugs to make you more pliable? Are you being abused emotionally and physically? Is a man telling you that he owns your voice? Too bad. No one will protect you. Not the corporations, not the justice system, not the lawyers, not the judges. And I honestly don’t know how Kesha is going to be able to record anything given her existing – and now legally binding – contract with Dr. Luke.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
Well, according to Trump, she should have just found a new job anyway. I mean – too bad that she’s trapped by ridiculous contracts. Just find a new job, Kesha.
This whole thing makes me so sad. I really root for her, and I hope that something good happens for her soon.
I’v been told once to find another job for some reasons. The fact is even IF I wanted to I couldn’t because contract you know and because where I work you have to ask permission to the government and rarely is granted. And it came from different people some of them my “friends”. Needless to say I told them all to f…k off. I prepared a letter of complaint against the person who was harassing me and I threatened to send it UP. I saw tears and fear that day. I told off so many people and I lost friends but I won just by threating. But also I was prepared to go forward and they knew I don’t kid when I’m ANGRY.
Somebody who overheard me, told me the other day when I was having a drink with a friend minding my own business and talking about personal stuff that if i was bored I could find another job like I have to change underwear not a whole carrier. That person is not going to talk to me anytime soon. He didn’t even saw what hit him.
Now this singer might have it worse, like Prince who fought for years and George Michael if I’m not mistaken, she has to be strong and FIGHT. And there are so many ways to fight this some of them not even legal. Like not singing. But I don’t think she can afford that as she is not none of the above. Or releasing the albums she owns them and not promote them as she should. If she’s not bringing the money they might let her loose sooner
I hope that Sony will put pressure on him, but it doesn’t look good for Kesha. To think that so much depended on the personal opinions of the judge!
Judges shouldn’t let their personal opinions interfer on their judgements over the law, but Kesha’s case and many others show how even female judges can’t relate and support women.
That doesn’t make sense. If a judge is not allowing their personal judgments to interfere with a case, then the judge will not “support” either side. The judge is supposed to be a neutral third party that dispassionately applies the law. I don’t want a judge who “supports” either side. I want neutrality.
yeah as Mia V. said its shocking that a female judge would not support another woman. we still have a long way to go.
I think the judge who quashed Kesha’s case against Luke (is he actually a Dr.?) was wrong to do so.
But, generally speaking, judges are supposed to be impartial. They are beholden only to the law. They cannot support a woman solely for being a woman; it’s dangerous for a judge to relate too much to one party. Case in point: Stanford swimmer.
A female judge shouldn’t support Kesha because she’s female, she should support Kesha because she should be released from her contract.
Yeah, I agree that female judges should not automatically side with the female party in a case, but that wasn’t the case here I think.
Male judges support men all the time. Look at Brock Turner.
Ugh my heart goes out to her I don’t know what she’s going through but I did go through a court battle a while back and it is one of the most draining and soul crushing experiences just fighting everyday for your rights.
Sorry to hear that Luca. Hope things are starting to look up. I don’t wish the courts on anyone.
Thanks, everything is fine now. But it while it was going on it was pure hell. I can’t imagine having to go through something like Kesha where she is so limited in even working and also dealing with the ramifications of rape and sexual abuse on top of a court battle.
She didn’t drop the lawsuit because she lost the will to fight. She dropped it because the judge was going to dismiss it. Kesha will likely sue Luke again in 2018 in California based on the state’s 7 year contract rule if her case isn’t resolved satisfactorily in New York. She wants to ensure she can raise these allegations again at that time.
People are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. An “allegation” of sexual abuse doesn’t mean it’s true. Kesha gave a deposition, under oath, where she denied any abuse. She is also rumored to be a heavy drug user. And the NY court dismissed her case – probably for lack of evidence. All those things should at least give pause before accepting her allegations as absolutely true.
I was supposed to prosecute a child abuse case. The grandmother refused to be a witness. When I asked why she wouldn’t testify for her granddaughter, she said she definitely would if she believed the mother’s allegations to be true – which she didn’t. The defendant was a handicapped man whose life would have been ruined, probably unjustly, if he were convicted for a sex crime he didn’t commit.
The point is that we can’t take everything at face value. People sometimes have motives to lie.
it only took us 5 comments for someone saying Kesha is lying. innocent until proven guilty is a silencing tactic used by rape apologist.
It appears Kesha was not treated for either drug use or alcoholism in rehab, so it’s best to take rumors of her being a heavy drug user with a grain of salt. Luke however admitted himself that he was a former drug dealer. He’s widely hated in the music industry. Many people who have worked with him don’t want to work with him anymore. Kelly Clarkson called him a liar and said he wasn’t a good person. Other “Jane Doe Female Artists” have joined Kesha’s case and are also alleging he abused them.
Also look at the history of this case. Kesha signed to Luke in the summer of 2005. In December 2005 she told a lawyer that Luke had raped her and she wanted out of her contract. Lawyers tried unsuccessfully for two years to get her out of the contract. Kesha had nothing to do with Luke from 2006 to 2008. Ask yourself why a teenage girl who had the opportunity to work with Dr. Luke and Max Martin was trying to escape her contract. She chose to be homeless and work as a waitress rather than work with men who could make her famous and rich. That’s how desperate she was to escape. You’re out of your mind if you think he didn’t do something to her.
but being a liar/ mean is just that, a liar and a meanie. Liar does not equal rapist.
Lexx, Kesha has been signed to Luke for 11 years. For 5 of those years she’s put her career on hold to escape him. I doubt she’d do that just because he’s mean. There was an eyewitness to one of the alleged sexual assaults and other women claim theyve also been abused.
This is going to get me flamed but here goes. From the jump there was something about her suit that seemed so suspect to me. Like I believed most of it. Did he give her drugs? Sure. Was he emotionally abusive and called her fat all the time? Absolutely. When she wanted to change her sound, did he put the kibosh on it? Definitely. But drugging and raping her? I was like, ok?
Cause is just such a sociopathic thing to do, and men who that do it to a bunch of women. Like cosby. Dr Luke came up under max martin and had been in the game for over 3 decades and after the suit the most that happened was Kelly clarkson saying he was really mean? ok that’s fine, but being really mean isn’t a crime. In all the time no other women came forward, to say this happened to me too. I don’t think Kesha lied, but I do think she exaggerated and upgraded parts of her story, in order to try to break a bad contract. And as for the contract stuff, this a mean business. You have to make sure, if it’s not you, that there is someone in your corner who is going to take up the hatchet and chop up all the judases.
Three other accusers came forward soon after Kesha filed the lawsuit. Her lawyer said one of those women’s story is very similar to Kesha’s. The number of accusers may have gone up by now. All are “Jane Does” at this point possibly because they fear Luke will sue them for defamation if they come forward publicly. Didn’t Cosby’s attacks start in the 1960’s? Yet no one sued him until 2006? And Luke has only been a big name for only about 15 years. He’s only 43, so he absolutely hasn’t been around for 3 decades. He hasn’t been around that long but already has multiple people making troubling accusations against him.
“Cause is just such a sociopathic thing to do, and men who that do it to a bunch of women.”
Not always. Why would you assume that this could only be true if he did it to multiple women? That make absolutely no sense.
“Like cosby.”
Yeah, and where did those lawsuits go? He was accused over and over and the women were silenced over and over. They were told they needed more proof. Or that they were just attacking a famous black man, or that they just wanted a payoff because they were mad the relationship didn’t work out. Considering the Cosby issues have been going on for decades, I’d say this goes against your point.
“after the suit the most that happened was Kelly clarkson saying he was really mean”
Kelly ACTUALLY said she only worked with him the last time because she was blackmailed into doing so. Blackmail and being mean are not at all the same thing. She was told that if she didn’t work with him, they would not put her album out. Gee. Doesn’t that sound familiar? It’s almost like that’s one of the things Kesha has also argued. Clarkson also went on to say “Obviously he’s a talented dude but he’s lied a lot. Musically it’s been really hard for me because he will just lie to people and it makes the artist look bad.”
I don’t understand wanting to continue to work for a company who harasses you or allows harassment. Wouldn’t that be just rewarding them for bad behavior? Also, I work with Judges, if you think any of them don’t use their own lives to decide cases, you are blind. You cannot separate the person from the job. It’s unfair, but I see this all the time. Especially against men, everyone assumes they are guilty before the TRO is even heard-even judges. That isn’t fair to anyone.
She doesn’t want to continue to work for the company that ‘s harassing her. She has been trying to get out of her contract for years. That’s the whole point of her New York lawsuit. In the meantime, she hasn’t put out new music in years. She needs to make a living, and probably wants to express herself artistically as well. It sounds like she is trying to make the best out of the situation.
I agree; but I was responding to what people are saying about what Trump said. I don’t agree with 95% of what he says, but why would you want to stay where they are treating you unfairly? If enough women leave those places, they won’t succeed.
I’m going to guess you’re not from the US. Most women here do not have the luxury to up and quit a job unless they’ve got another one lined up. Many people live paycheck to paycheck. Until they find another job, how will they eat? Pay for doctor appointments? Pay for chidcare for their children? It’s a great thought in principle, but in reality, it’s simply not feasible.
So sad – she is such a talented woman. I hope that she gets out of the contract and gets herself some decent lawyers – i always felt the ones she has are not really giving her the best advice.
If she’s delivering new music to the label, does that mean that she’s taken the compromise Sony initially proposed in the beginning of the case?
I think this has to do with needing to work. She needs the income and she needs to work. It sounds like maybe she accepted that she can’t get fully away from Luke contractually, so she settled on the compromise they offered (not having to work with him directly). At this point, maybe that’s the best option she has.
This case is so messed up because while we can accept it as truth that Luke abused Kesha, the court can’t. Presumption of innocence and all. That’s why courts often can’t give people what they really want, and it sucks.
“Presumption of innocence and all. That’s why courts often can’t give people what they really want, and it sucks. ” it sucks but it does not have to. we can easily change that.
Why would we? Presumption of innocence is awesome. It’s the foundation of the whole system. I presume you’ve never been in a position of being accused of something. I wouldn’t change it, and frankly, it’s kind of scary that you would.
People with your line of thought scare me. Plus she already, under oath, said it did not happen.
Kesha was willing from the beginning to record for Sony if Luke wasn’t involved. Sony refused to allow her to do that. Lawyers even sent her a letter stating that she couldn’t record unless it was with Luke. When she filed for the injunction, Sony changed their tune. They told the judge that Kesha would be allowed to record without Luke. Now Kesha is going to hold them to that. If they don’t let her release, it hurts Luke’s case and increases the odds she’ll win an injunction on appeal. If they do let her release, she’ll be able to resume working and making money, and stay in the spotlight, while her case drags on for the next year or two.
My understanding was that Kesha wanted Luke totally removed from the process, which Sony refused. Their offer was that Kesha would not have to be in the same room as Luke and not have any direct contact with him, but Luke would maintain creative control of her work and – more importantly – would maintain the right to make money off the albums. That was what she objected to. The judge formerly ruled that Sony’s compromise was sufficient to address Kesha’s concerns. I am wondering now if she finally agreed to that or if they offered her a better compromise.
Sam,
From what I understand, Kesha didn’t want Luke involved in her career fearing he’d sabotage her. I don’t know if she ever had an issue with him profiting off her work. The ruling over the injunction has tied Luke’s hands a bit. If he doesn’t let her release or refuses to promote her, it could hurt him legally. Another thing that’s happened since the injunction hearing is Sony has taken over a lot of the control of Luke’s failing record label Kemosabe. So he may have a lot less say over her career now than he would have before. This has become a PR nightmare for Sony. I think they’re going to be more evenhanded in how they handle this situation from now on. Before they were 100% pro-Luke.
Did she mess with her face? I wouldn’t have known that was Kesha without reading the headline.
No she gained weight. I still think she looks cute regardless 😊
She had some work done a while back, tied to her dangerously low self esteem after years of degradation and abuse. All she seems to do now is lip plumpers, which is fairly normal for celebrities.
She looks beautiful and healthy and a good weight for her frame. Makes her look youthful and fresh. I hope she can overcome her eating issues but I know it’s a long battle. Stay strong Kesha!
How long is this contract with Dr Luke supposed to last? Is it common to have a contract with one producer? It seems that she didn’t get good advice when signing this kind of deal.
I thought I remembered reading it was for 6 studio albums or so. But surely a contract can be made null and void if you aren’t actually allowed to release any albums as she is essentially a prisoner?!?
I will boycott SONY until they do right by Kesha. Corporations only understand the bottom line, as we all know. Also, Daniel Petrocelli is an AWESOME attorney. He won the civil case against O.J. Simpson. I’ve read transcripts of that trial and there is no one better to have on your side than this man. All respect.