Kesha’s mom, Rosemary Patricia "Pebe" Sebert, is speaking out about her daughter’s legal battle and rape allegations against Dr. Luke in a long-ranging interview that outlines the alleged abuse Kesha has been subjected to over the past decade.
Pebe is speaking out after the court’s ruling that Kesha can’t record outside of her contract with Sony, although she can record with producers other than Dr. Luke.
"Kesha's allowed to work with another producer," Pebe told Billboard. "But Luke gets to approve them. He gets to approve of anyone she works with. He has final say over everything."
Pebe went on to outline the alleged abuse Kesha experienced from the producer since moving to Los Angeles in 2005 to pursue a career in music.
"It was like someone who beats you every day and hangs you from a chain and then comes in and gives you a piece of bread,” she said. “Luke would say, 'You look nice today,’ and send her into hysterics of happiness because she was programmed to expect nothing but abuse."
Dr. Luke has denied all allegations against him, and has been quick to bring up the fact that Kesha and her mother both swore under oath that he did not rape her.
"I wanted Kesha to come forward a long time ago and end this relationship with Dr. Luke immediately after the [alleged] rape," said Pebe. "But if she wanted to have a shot at the music business, she had no choice but [to work with him]."
Pebe also said when Kesha’s album Animal blew up on the charts, that’s when Dr. Luke “started getting really hateful,” seeing her as a “cash cow and started manipulating her all the time.”
Now that Kesha has come public with the abuse and sexual assault allegations, Pebe said she’s “so much better now” and looks forward to being an “advocate for sexual abuse or other things.”