Kesha Fans Rally To Release Pop Singer From Contract With Sony
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Crowds of fans gathered outside of Sony headquarters in New York City on Friday, demanding the company release pop singer Kesha from her contract.
Kesha Rose Sebert was in tears as she left the courtroom Feb 19, after a judge ruled she will not be released from her long-term record deal with Sony, despite the singer's claim that Dr. Luke sexually abused her for years.
The ruling sparked a flurry of outrage and support from other celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift. Days after the ruling, Swift donated $250,000 to help Kesha pay for her legal battle against producer Dr. Luke, CBS2 reported in an earlier story.
"Support from Adele, from Taylor Swift, from Lady Gaga, has been tremendous because these are people that are huge in the music industry -- they have huge impact," one protester told 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck. "Their support is definitely showing how important this is."
"...I think that when a woman's voice is silenced, we should all step up and be a voice for her because I think that happens far too often," Jesse Losch, of Manhattan, told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond.
Drop Luke to free Kesha @KeshaTODAY protest at Sony #1010wins pic.twitter.com/OGHibtnRon
— glenn schuck (@glennschuck) February 26, 2016
Kesha's lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles in 2014, accuses hit-making producer Dr. Luke of raping her and subjecting her to other sexual and emotional abuse for nearly a decade. The abuse led the "Tik Tok" singer to develop a severe eating disorder that required her to enter rehab, according to the lawsuit.
Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald, filed a lawsuit against Kesha in New York, calling the claims defamatory and saying his protégé is making them in an attempt to extort him into giving her a better recording deal.
Kesha sought to invalidate recording agreements she signed with Dr. Luke and his recording company when she turned 18.
Despite the ruling, the case is still ongoing.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)