Celebrities Rally Behind Kesha in Contract Dispute w/ Dr. Luke

[JamesG]

Adele, Lady Gaga, Anne Hathaway Join List of Celebrities Supporting Kesha
2/26/16
by THR Staff


#FreeKesha has made its rounds online this week after a judge denied Kesha Rose Sebert's request to leave her contract with music producer Dr. Luke (Lukasz Gottwald), whom the pop star claims sexually and emotionally abused her.

Taylor Swift announced that she donated $250,000 to her cause, and many celebrities and musicians — as well as fans — have pledged their support. "Girls" star Lena Dunham published an essay in her newsletter Lenny, in which she asks, "What man, what company endeavors to keep a woman saddled with someone who she says has caused her years of trauma, shame and fear?"







Producers including Jack Antonoff and Zedd have offered to work with Kesha to create music away from Dr. Luke, and fellow artists Adele, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Lorde, Demi Lovato, Janelle Monáe, Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus and Iggy Azalea have tweeted out their support.

On Tuesday, actress Anne Hathaway shared Lena Dunham's Lenny letter post on her Facebook account, accompanied with a note that began with, "I stand with Kesha."

On Wednesday night, Adele took a moment from her acceptance speech to share her support, thanking her management and record label "for embracing the fact that I'm a woman and being encouraged by it," before adding, "And I'd also like to take this moment to publicly support Kesha," she said to applause from the audience.



Other celebrities who have publicly supported Kesha include actresses Reese Witherspoon and "Law & Order: SVU's" Mariska Hargitay. Hargitay is also known for her work as an advocate for sexual assault victims.







Kesha took to social media to thank her fans on Wednesday, saying in a Facebook post, "I'm so, so beyond humbled and thankful for all of the support I've received from everyone."

"All I ever wanted was to be able to make music without being afraid, scared or abused. This case has never been about a renegotiation of my record contract — it was never about getting a bigger, or a better deal. This is about being free from my abuser."



Dr. Luke has denied all of the allegations and tweeted on Monday:

"I didn't rape Kesha and I have never had sex with her."







Fans have also come out in support of the singer.

A fan launched a GoFundMe campaign called "Free Kesha" to buy out her contract and free the singer from her producer, which spread the hashtag around social media this week.

The campaign says it seeks to raise $2 million; as of Friday afternoon, it had reached $21,505.

https://www.gofundme.com/freekesha



A small but impassioned group of Kesha fans organized a peaceful #FreeKesha rally outside Sony’s New York City headquarters on Friday morning.

Demonstrators called for the music conglomerate to let the pop star out of her six-record deal with Sony’s Kemosabe Records, which Dr. Luke oversees.



Sony Music Entertainment says that they are "legally unable" to release Kesha from her contract.

Scott Edelman, a lawyer for the company, told The New York Times, "Sony is doing everything it can to support the artist in these circumstances, but is legally unable to terminate the contract to which it is not a party.

Sony has made it possible for Kesha to record without any connection, involvement or interaction with Luke whatsoever, but Sony is not in a position to terminate the contractual relationship between Luke and Kesha."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...athaway-869396