Pop-star Kesha spoke up last year about how she was sexually assaulted and emotionally abused for years by her manager Lucasz Gottwald (Dr. Luke) of Kemosabe Records, under Sony Music, and she has been paying the price by not being allowed to continue with her career.
Sean O'Toole of The Huffington Post said, "In the suit, she had alleged that Gottwald had repeatedly drugged and raped her, and submitted her to emotional abuse that proceeded her seeking treatment for bulimia nervosa."
As expected, Gottwald and those who own the labels have tried to silence her for speaking out.
Sony wrote, "'[Kesha] cannot have it both ways.' adding, 'She cannot claim that Gottwald intimidated her into silence, then — as an apparent afterthought — seek to hold Sony and Kemosabe Records liable for failing to act on conduct that she did not report.'"
Although Kesha is more privileged than many other survivors of sexual assault, that does not make her case any less important and we should support her. Sexual assault cases are hard enough as it is, but she hasn't been able to continue with her career because Gottwald will not allow her to end the contract and work with someone else. She is trying to get the judge to speed up the case through an injunction in hopes of continuing to make music, but it is still ongoing.
If you don't like Kesha, that's OK, but this could be merely one case of many that we don't know about because they aren't reported. It's important to support all survivors, no matter the sex or gender, so they feel comfortable to report their case with minimal backlash. I'm not only talking about musicians, celebrities, and people in the entertainment industry, but anyone. No one is immune to the sexual assault epidemic.
Women and men are going to see this case and it could potentially affect if they feel comfortable to speak out or not. There are so many cases of sexual assault, yet it is almost always handled poorly. Survivors are victim-blamed, they have to see their rapist over and over again, and they rarely get justice. How many assaults need to happen before we seriously fix this overwhelming issue?
Recently, fans and supporters took to Twitter to talk about her case and help her stand up to her abuser with the trending hashtag #FreedomForKesha.
Kesha may be a pop star, but she is also a human being and deserves to be treated fairly. She should be able to continue with her career and be able to speak about the trauma and violence she has experienced without being silenced. This isn't just about Kesha, but it's about all survivors. We can't keep letting this happen. The survivors can't do it alone and supporters need to help lift them so their voices are louder than their attackers.
