You may have noticed that it’s been a while since you’ve been able to jam to a new Kesha song. For years, no one knew that behind the glitter, smiles, and party anthems, pop singer Kesha was suffering abuse from her manager Dr. Luke. The story broke last October when Kesha filed a lawsuit against him for sexual, physical, and mental abuse that led to her eating disorder and a trip to rehab. The story is, of course, sad for Kesha (and her fans), but it’s also an example of the attitude toward rape and rape victims in our society in general.
Dr. Luke’s abusive relationship with Kesha started when she was merely 18 years old and lasted almost a decade. She stayed silent for so long because Dr. Luke had the power to ruin her career. Now, Kesha fears that the lawsuit is destroying her career, while Dr. Luke insists that the allegations against him are false and that any damage done to her career is the singer’s own fault. Because of all of this, Kesha’s career has been halted for over a year, and the internet is demanding #FreedomForKesha.
Fans and feminists everywhere are feeling for Kesha. She’s unable to make music before the lawsuit is settled, and if the ruling is not in her favor, Dr. Luke will still have contractual control of her career. Dr. Luke maintains that he’s innocent and deserves his contractual control of Kesha, even though others have supported Kesha’s claims against him. “He used her, abused her, and that’s how he operates. Ask anybody who’s ever worked with him throughout all this litigation. I defy you to find one artist who has come to his defense,” said Kesha’s lawyer, Mark Geragos.
It’s not hard to see how screwed up it is that a man who has done serious damage to Kesha mentally, emotionally, and physically, could also hold her career in his hands. Even if Dr. Luke did want to make more music with Kesha, it’s easy to understand why she doesn’t want to. A person should never be forced to choose between working with their abuser and giving up their career. “I know I cannot work with Dr. Luke,” she said. “I physically cannot. I don’t feel safe in any way.”
#FreedomForKesha has been trending all over the internet. People are worried about her career, but also about what this case means for rape culture on a broader spectrum. Twitter user @wtc1998 tweeted, “Kesha is losing her career for publicly accusing her rapist and people wonder why more rape victims don’t speak up. #FreedomForKesha”
Kesha’s career is in danger, but the issues her case represents are bigger than that. #FreedomForKesha is about how victims of abuse need to be taken seriously and recognized for the courage it takes to overcome something like that. The Dr. Lukes of the world need to face consequences for their actions, and they most certainly shouldn’t be able to remain in control of those they’ve been hurting. That’s why we want #FreedomForKesha.