Kesha’s Fight To Break Her Contract With Alleged Rapist Dr. Luke Continues: #FreeKesha

by Erika W. Smith

Kesha’s legal battle to free herself from a contract that requires her to work with her alleged rapist, Dr. Luke, has been going on for more than two years — and there’s still no end in sight.

To catch up: In October 2014, Kesha sued Dr. Luke, saying that he had drugged and raped her as well as abused her verbally, physically and emotionally. Dr. Luke countersued for defamation and breach of contract. In February 2016, a New York judge denied Kesha’s request for an injunction that would allow her to record music outside of Dr. Luke’s purview until the lawsuit ended, and soon after, that same judge denied Kesha’s abuse claims; in response, Kesha filed in California. Dr. Luke also added additional allegations to his countersuit.

Now, Dr. Luke has filed a new claim against Kesha, saying that she told Lady Gaga via text that Dr. Luke had raped another singer as well as herself. Via People, the suit reads:

Kesha initiated a text message conversation with Stefani Germanotta, the recording artist who is professionally known as ‘Lady Gaga.’ During this text message conversation, Kesha falsely and baselessly asserted that Kesha and another female recording artist (the ‘Other Recording Artist’) had both been raped by Gottwald … Since this text message conversation, Lady Gaga has spread negative messages about Gottwald in the press. Indeed, Lady Gaga has gone so far as to suggest during a radio interview that she possesses secret information regarding Gottwald that is damaging to him. Lady Gaga’s statements during this radio interview were thereafter repeated and spread widely by many international media outlets… Kesha’s false accusation that Gottwald raped the Other Recording Artist has been widely circulated throughout the music industry … thereby causing further grievous damage to [Luke]’s reputation and business, just as Kesha intended/ As Lady gaga observed in this text message conversation, ‘it will NOT [b]e easy for’ her [i.e. the Other Recording Artist] or any artist to work w[ith] him [i.e. Gottwald] after this.

In addition, Kesha has amended her counterclaim, saying that Dr. Luke owes her over two years of royalties, including for “Timber.” The claim says that Kesha stopped receiving royalties when she went public with her case against Dr. Luke.

The document reads:

Prescription stopped issuing accounting statements and royalty payments to Kesha in violation of the Prescription Contract. From the first quarter of 2014 to December 2016, Kesha did not receive from Prescription any statement of the royalties owed to her under the Prescription Contract. From the second quarter of 2014 to December 2016, Kesha did not receive from Prescription any royalties owed to her under the Prescription Contract. It was not until Kesha’s counsel threatened further legal action in 2016 that Dr. Luke released certain funds owed to Kesha in December 2016. Prescription has still not paid Kesha all of the amounts owed. Kesha is also still owed royalties from ‘Timber’ that Dr. Luke has previously sought to block.

Via Pitchfork, Kesha’s counterclaim says:

“You can get a divorce from an abusive spouse. You can dissolve a partnership if the relationship becomes irreconcilable. The same opportunity—to be liberated from the physical, emotional, and financial bondage of a destructive relationship—should be available to a recording artist.”

She adds that if Dr. Luke wins, “Kesha and her mother would be penniless.”

You can read the full documents over at BuzzFeed.

#FreeKesha

Top photo: Facebook/Kesha

More from BUST

Kesha Stands Up To Dr. Luke And Sony: ‘I Will Not Take Back The Truth’

Kesha’s Alleged Abuser Dr. Luke is Now Suing Kesha’s Mother

Kesha’s Judge Thinks Rape Isn’t Gender-Motivated

 

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