Kesha, the singer behind “Tik Tok” and “Die Young,” has lost in her court battle to be allowed to record outside of her contracts with Sony and producer Dr. Luke, the man she has accused of raping her a decade ago.
Kesha, whose full name is Kesha Rose Sebert and formerly used a dollar sign in her professional name, claims that Dr. Luke raped and drugged her in 2006 when she was 18. She had filed a preliminary injunction to allow her to record without Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, and Sony Records.
According to The New York Daily News, she is signed to an exclusive contract to use Dr. Luke as her producer. She thinks that Sony wouldn’t promote her music if she doesn’t work with Dr. Luke. Her attorneys told the judge that her career could be ruined if she doesn’t record again soon. (She hasn’t released an album since 2012.)
New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich did not agree and noted how the contract was “heavily negotiated and typical of” the music industry, reports The Hollywood Reporter. Kornreich also called the argument by Kesha’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, that Sony was more interested in promoting Dr. Luke produced-records than Kesha were only “speculative” and without supporting evidence.
Dr. Luke has denied Kesha’s claims of sexual assault, and his attorneys said that Kesha was allowed to record without him. His attorneys also stated that Kesha’s claims are vague and only come because her career has stalled.
Dr. Luke and Sony have asked that Kesha’s lawsuit against him over the rape claims be tossed. Kesha’s civil lawsuit also includes claims of discrimination, harassment and hate crimes. Kornreich did not rule on the motion, though.
While Kesha did not speak to the media outside the courtroom, she was met with a group of fans who supported her. During the hearing, #SonySupportsRape started trending on Twitter.