A lot of people have a tendency to see Kesha as this "trashy party girl" from her songs about copious amounts of drinking and having sex, and maybe it’s because of this image that what’s happening to her is not being taken seriously or being talked about by enough people.
Kesha has been legally battling her producer Lukasz Gottwald (Dr. Luke), who she’s been signed with since she was 18 years old. Last September Kesha sued Dr. Luke for alleged “sexual, physical, verbal and emotional abuse,” and also asked the court to break her contract with him. The lawsuit alleges that Dr. Luke repeatedly drugged her, raped her at least twice, and emotionally abused her to the point of causing her eating disorder, for which she checked into a rehab facility in Lemont, Illinois. Rolling Stone reports two specific claims: one claim includes Dr. Luke making her snort something before they boarded a plane and sexually assaulting her while she was incapacitated. The other claim was that she was given “sober pills,” which she later found out were a date rape drug, and after taking them woke up the next morning in Luke’s bed naked, sore and confused. Since Dr. Luke is an extremely successful producer, having been responsible for hits from pop stars like Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry, he’s using his big, fancy lawyers to try and fight back. Luke filed a countersuit for defamation.
There’s been so little news coverage on this horrible injustice, but could that be because a lot of people still see Kesha as the trashy party girl? If that’s the case, then those people need to first realize that this kind of abuse is as serious for a “party girl” as it would be for anyone else, and second, listen to this little bit about Kesha that might make you think of her differently. Kesha scored a 1500 on her SAT, has an IQ of 140 (which technically makes her a genius), was named the Humane Society of the United States’ first global ambassador for animal rights, is an ordained minister, was strong enough to go to rehab for her eating disorder and fight and overcome it, and is obviously an extremely talented singer and songwriter. Not to mention how strong she’s been even through everything she is battling with this lawsuit and the years of alleged abuse at the hands of Dr. Luke. Surviving any kind of abusive relationship is extremely difficult, and Kesha’s coming out the other side stronger than ever. In fact, to show off to the world just how strong she is, at New York Fashion Week she wore a dress with the words “You Will Never Own Me” on the front -- a brilliantly constructed jab at Dr. Luke.
It's hard enough being an abuse survivor, and it's even harder when you have to keep trying to convince people that what you experienced is legitimate. Too many victims of abuse are made to feel like their horrifying experiences aren't real, and just because Kesha is a celebrity in no way means that her experience is somehow less relevant.
The fact that Kesha could potentially lose her career to her abuser is sickening. We all need to be outraged. This kind of abuse and manipulation is all too common in the world we live in, and Kesha doesn’t deserve this. Stay strong, Kesha, this world is still yours for the taking.
