In October 2014, Kesha filed a civil suit against Dr. Luke alleging sexual, physical, verbal and emotional abuse. The suit claims that the singer suffered at the hands of Dr. Luke for 10 years as he attempted to assert control over her life and career.
On February 19, a New York Supreme Court justice denied Kesha a preliminary injunction against Sony Music Entertainment. The injunction would have allowed the singer-songwriter to record and release new music while her lawsuit against music producer Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald plays out. Kesha’s current predicament is an unfortunate and complicated one that is deeply rooted in gender issues.
Presiding justice Shirley Kornreich said granting an injunction was an “extraordinary measure,” and told Kesha’s lawyers that they were “asking the court to decimate a contract that was heavily negotiated and typical for the industry.”
What’s typical for the recording industry is also typical for American society. Music is as much of a man’s world as any other arena. We hear about victim-blaming and slut-shaming in sexual assault cases on a near daily basis—and no one, not even celebrities, can escape their reach.
We’re living in a society that interrogates victims. We’re still explaining emotional abuse to people. We’re turning sexual assault cases into schoolyard “he said, she said” arguments.
We, as a society, don’t listen to victims. We, as a society, don’t listen to women.
The denied injunction leaves Kesha beholden to Dr. Luke, regardless of the outcome of her civil trial. Without that document, Kesha can be sued for breach of contract if she releases new music.
Despite publicly stating her discomfort and fear of Dr. Luke, Kesha is, in effect, being forced to work for her alleged abuser—a condition no one should have to endure. Ignoring Kesha’s plea sets a dangerous precedent and sends the message that the feelings of women, especially those that are victims of abuse, simply do not matter.
Voicing our support for Kesha is a start, but in order to combat issues like these we have to push for sweeping, systematic change.