This past week, Kesha made waves in the news cycle due to a ruling in her ongoing court battle with Dr. Luke and Sony Records. Kesha filed the case in 2014, seeking to be released from her contract with Sony Records, which required her to make six more albums with the label. According to her contract, six songs on each album must be produced by Dr. Luke. Kesha’s case hinges on allegations that Dr. Luke sexually and emotionally abused her from the age of 18. Kesha alleges that he drugged and raped her, and that he constantly demeaned and tore apart her appearance and talent. Kesha recently spent time in rehab recovering from bulimia, which she says is a direct result of the emotional and sexual abuse she experienced at the hands of Dr. Luke.
However, the court case ruled against Kesha, upholding her contract and forcing her to continue working with her abuser. After the decision, Kesha was visibly distraught and was pictured sobbing in the courtroom. As a result, many celebrities have come out in support of Kesha’s plight. Demi Lovato was especially outspoken, saying that it’s “frustrating to see women come forward with their past only to be shot down, not believed and disrespected for their bravery in taking action”. Additionally, Taylor Swift’s reps confirmed that the singer has donated $250,000 to support Kesha’s ongoing legal battle.
Yet for all of the people supporting Kesha’s case, there are many who are outspokenly undermining the actress’s allegations. For one, the judge on the case deemed that there is no evidence that Kesha experienced “irreparable harm”. Further, many people have publicly questioned the veracity of Kesha’s allegations, claiming that she is simply doing anything and everything to get out of a contract for financial gain.
So why is this so important? Kesha’s case is a great representation of why rape and sexual abuse is so grossly underreported. Many women choose not to come forward when they are raped or sexually assaulted because victim blaming is such a common reaction to such allegations. Often times, women are accused of lying about an assault, accusations that only further their victimization. Kesha’s case only enhances these preconceptions about sexual assault and rape court cases. She was publicly denounced as a liar and legally forced to continue working alongside her abuser. This tells women that, if they come forward with such accusations, they will only be faced with a lengthy court battle that seeks to undermine their credibility and will eventually rule against them. The decision will simply serve as another example for why women will choose not to come forward if they experience similar abuses.
Finally, the case paints a scary picture of the music industry. Abusers like Chris Brown and Dr. Luke are free to continue making music and are still highly regarded and respected as artists. Yet the industry seems to have no interest in protecting the victims of such abuse. To the courts and to Sony Records, Kesha’s contract was deemed more valuable than her well-being and safety. Even though Kesha’s claims are just allegations at this point and legally unsubstantiated, considerations for her safety should be paramount. She should not be forced to work with this man given the nature of the allegations. Every woman should have the right to work in a safe environment, and that’s essentially what Kesha is fighting for.