We haven’t heard too much about Kesha in the past few years. She released “Timber” with Pitbull and seemed to have disappeared afterwards. However, it wasn’t just a disappearance. There is a lot more to the twisted story than anyone had suspected until finally realizing the truth in just the past few weeks.
Kesha has accused her producer at Sony, Dr. Luke, of sexually, physically, verbally and emotionally abusing her to the point of near death. She sued him not to punish him for the assault, but to seek a termination from her contract so that she could be happy.
The New York judge denied Kesha’s claims and said that there haven’t been enough substantial evidences to release her from her contract. The only way she could be released from Sony would be a buyout. Upon the verdict Kesha broke down in the court room.
Since the verdict, fans and celebrities across the globe have been coming out with statements in support of Kesha. These celebrities include Demi Lovato, Taylor Swift, David Guetta, Ariana Grande, Lorde and many more. Taylor Swift even gave Kesha $250,000 for anything she may need in this tough time of healing.
Many are critiquing this situation as immoral and unfair. While Zayn Malik’s release from his contract with One Direction at Sony was deemed completely acceptable due to his unhappiness, Kesha is stuck in her contract despite her danger. Although the details of Malik’s release are not completely clear, something seems fishy.
Regardless of whether or not Kesha will be released from her contract, the situation has brought light to many ethical questions. Why does our society bombard victims of sexual assault and/or domestic violence with questions rather than offering them support? Why does our society always take such allegations with a grain of salt but immediately offers support to victims of other crimes? Kesha wasn’t even trying to penalize Dr. Luke and his actions against her with any sort of legal action, she was just trying to be released from her contract. Why is our society so oblivious to incidents of rape when they should be giving victims the resources they need? Why does our society always assume that victims are falsely accusing their attacker rather than believing that they have suffered an immoral act of violence? This lawsuit reiterates some of the most vicious misgivings in the society we live in and initiates discourse about where our morals lie.
Sexual violence should never be tolerated. Freeing Kesha from Sony is just one step that our society needs to take on its long trek to ending sexual violence.