Rolling Stone Australia - May 2016

ROCK&ROLL

34 | Rolling Stone | RollingStoneAus.com May, 2016

GETTY IMAGES

UPDATE

F

or embattled pop star
Kesha, a rough day in court
turned into an unprecedented
moment of global-pop-star sol-
idarity in February, as some of the big-
gest names in music, from Lady Gaga to
Adele, stepped up to support her legal fi ght
against producer Dr. Luke. In the process,
her case became bigger than one artist’s
career-threatening battle with a produc-
er she alleges raped and mentally abused

her over the course of a decade – charges

he unequivocally denies. Artists painted

the case as emblematic of the entertain-

ment industry’s – and society’s – treat-

ment of women. “Women in music and

film have long been controlled

and coerced by abusive Sven-

galis,” wrote infl uential Hol-

lywood feminist Lena Dun-

ham, accusing the legal system

of “failing to protect [women]

from the men they identify as

their abusers”.

Kesha was in a Manhat-

tan court on February 19th for a hear-

ing about her lawyers’ request for a legal

long shot, a preliminary injunction that

would have freed her from contracts with

Dr. Luke (born Lukasz Gottwald) and his

Sony Music-owned label, Kemosabe, in

advance of a trial. A sceptical judge bat-

ted aside the motion, noting that Gottwald

and Sony had agreed to allow Kesha to re-

cord for Kemosabe without having to work

directly with him. Kesha’s at-

torneys argued that Sony was

on Gottwald’s side, and would

likely allow him to sabotage

any new Kesha releases. (Sony

insisted that it was equally in-

vested in the success of Kesha

and Dr. Luke.)

“My instinct is to do the

commercially reasonable thing,” replied

the judge, Shirley Werner Kornreich, “and

to assume Sony will do what is in its best

interest. It’s not in its best interest not

to promote a recording artist in whom

Inside Kesha’s Fight

The pop star lost the latest

round in her sexual-assault

lawsuit against producer Dr.

Luke. But she may be winning

the war. By Steve Knopper
“All I ever
wanted was to
b e a b le to m a ke
music without
being afraid or
abused.”

Kesha arrives at a

New York courthouse

on February 19th.