Free Kesha: Singer’s long, complex legal fight with Dr. Luke – and why fans are rallying behind her
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Kesha fans around the world rejoiced when news broke that the singer had finally been released from Dr Luke’s record label. This marked the end of a long and complex legal battle between the two parties that spanned over a decade.
The news of Kesha’s freedom came shortly after the release of her fifth studio album, Gag Order, which received critical acclaim. In an announcement following the album’s release, Kesha and Dr Luke revealed that they had settled their ongoing lawsuits out of court.
It has now been confirmed that Kesha’s contract with Kemosabe, Dr Luke’s label, officially ended last week. This comes as no surprise, as it was widely speculated that Gag Order would be her final album under the label.
In addition to parting ways with Kemosabe, Kesha also amicably ended her relationship with her management company, Vector Management. This signifies a fresh start for the singer as she embarks on a new chapter in her career.
The legal battle between Kesha and Dr Luke began in 2005 when she signed to Kemosabe Records at the age of 18. Dr Luke played a significant role in Kesha’s career, overseeing the production and creative direction of her music. However, tensions started to arise when Kesha claimed that her creative control was being stifled.
In 2012, a petition was created by a fan calling for Kesha to be freed from Dr Luke’s management. The petition suggested that he was hindering her growth as an artist. Around the same time, a documentary series called Kesha: My Crazy Beautiful Life aired, revealing that Kesha had little creative control over her second album. She alleged that songs were scrapped from the finished record without her consent.
The turning point came in October 2014 when Kesha filed a civil lawsuit against Dr Luke, accusing him of sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, emotional abuse, and violation of business practices. She sought a preliminary injunction to be released from her contract with Kemosabe Records.
Dr Luke denied all the allegations made against him and retaliated with a countersuit, claiming that Kesha and her mother had defamed him. He alleged that they fabricated the allegations to be released from their contract.
In February 2016, Kesha suffered a setback when Justice Shirley Kornreich ruled against her request to be freed from her contract. Kornreich stated that the contract had been heavily negotiated and doing so would not be commercially reasonable.
Shortly after this decision, Dr Luke took to Twitter to deny the rape allegations. Kesha later claimed on social media that she was offered freedom from her contract if she publicly retracted her allegations and apologized for lying. She rejected the offer, maintaining that the truth could not be retracted.
In April 2016, Kornreich dismissed Kesha’s allegations of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and gender violence. She stated that Kesha had only provided two specific instances of abuse, with the most recent one falling outside the statute of limitations.
Despite these setbacks, Kesha continued her fight for justice. In 2017, she released the song “Praying,” widely believed to be about Dr Luke. Her album Rainbow followed soon after, both released on Kemosabe Records but without Dr Luke’s involvement as a songwriter or producer.
In 2018, details of a text Kesha sent to Lady Gaga were made public during the legal proceedings. In the text, Kesha accused Dr Luke of raping Katy Perry. However, court documents revealed that Perry had given a deposition stating that she had not been raped by Dr Luke.
Throughout this legal battle, a small number of artists continued to work with Dr Luke, including Doja Cat and Kim Petras. Petras faced backlash from Kesha fans for her collaboration with the producer. The backlash intensified when Petras released her EP Slut Pop, with fans feeling conflicted due to Dr Luke’s involvement.
In 2023, Kesha released her fifth studio album, Gag Order, which she named as such because of the implied gag order she felt was placed on her during the litigation. Just a few weeks later, Kesha and Dr Luke reached a settlement out of court. Kesha expressed her desire to close this chapter of her life and move forward, while Dr Luke maintained his innocence and wished Kesha well.
Following the settlement, Kesha announced that she would be renaming her tour from the Gag Order Tour to the Only Love Tour. This signified her belief in a brighter future and hinted at the end of her contract with Kemosabe.
On 18 December 2023, news broke that Kesha was officially released from Kemosabe Records. In celebration of her newfound freedom, Kesha posted a picture of herself nude with the caption “Coming back home to me.” This marked the end of a long and arduous legal battle and a fresh start for Kesha as she continues her musical journey
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“Dr Luke legal battle”
