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Kesha stopped from leaving Dr Luke recording contract after rape allegations

29 replies

Effiethemonster · 20/02/2016 12:56

This is awful, allegedly he drugged and sexually abused her yet he judge has ruled that she is contractually obliged to keep working with him.

www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/35618067/kesha-stopped-from-leaving-dr-luke-recording-contract

OP posts:
prh47bridge · 21/02/2016 01:18

The crucial word in your post is "allegedly". He denies the allegations, saying she made them up to ruin his reputation and get out of her recording contract. Note that the judge has NOT ruled that she must work directly with Dr Luke, simply that she must comply with the contract she signed.

The (female) judge found that there was no evidence to support Kesha's allegations. Given that Kesha entered into the contract freely after heavy negotiations, the contract is pretty standard for the industry, Dr Luke has invested $60M in her career and is willing to allow her to record without his involvement (so there is no need for her to have any direct contact with him) the decision of the court was unsurprising. If there was evidence to support Kesha's allegations the outcome may have been different.

If her allegations are true he is a disgusting individual who should be in jail and she has my sympathy. If her allegations are false she is a disgusting individual doing a substantial disservice to genuine rape victims and she gets no sympathy from me whatsoever.

Cellardoor1 · 22/02/2016 19:36

She claims that if she stays with Sony, they can and probably will refuse to market her material if she doesn't work with Dr Luke. He is named in the contract she signed as her exclusive producer.

Clearly they can't work together so they should just release her from the contract.

There have been rumours about this guy before I think. Some female artists such as kelly clarkson worked with him briefly but then refused to work with him again.

megletthesecond · 22/02/2016 19:42

Taylor Swift has given Kesha £250k towards legal costs. There seems to be a few others speaking out to support her.

prh47bridge · 22/02/2016 23:56

Kelly Clarkson has denied stories about Dr Luke reducing her to tears and that she hated the songs he worked on with her. She has, however, posted a somewhat cryptic tweet which suggests she isn't happy with him.

Lady Gaga meanwhile has denied claims by Kesha's lawyer that Dr Luke raped her. Dr Luke is seeking damages from Kesha's lawyer over these claims. Given Lady Gaga's statement it is difficult to see how Kesha's lawyer can defend himself on this one.

It is all very messy. I have no idea who is telling the truth.

prh47bridge · 22/02/2016 23:59

Clearly they can't work together so they should just release her from the contract

She doesn't have to work with him at all in order to fulfil her side of the contract. And, given that there is currently no evidence to support her allegations, Dr Luke would be entitled to substantial compensation if she breaks the contract.

bloodyteenagers · 23/02/2016 00:17

I am really really on the fence about this. I really don't know who is telling the truth, and of course, we don't know everything.

In 2011 under oath, during a trial with her former manager, (Das) she denied Dr. Luke abused her. And she then returned to Dr. Luke to work with him. Then in 2014 she started legal proceedings about abuse and drugging that happened around the time she signed with Dr. L back in 2005.

In the meantime, her lawyer mentioned that another hi-profile singer was abused. She has denied this and he is seeking damages or something from the lawyer.

Alisvolatpropiis · 23/02/2016 00:22

It is a difficult one. Particularly given she swore under oath he had not sexually abused her previously, as mentioned above.

Cellardoor1 · 23/02/2016 00:25

She does have to work with Dr Luke though because her contract is with the record label he is in charge of. Anything she records, even without his input, has to be brought to him.

She claims that he threatened her into lying under oath for him in 2011.

Cellardoor1 · 23/02/2016 00:26

Sorry I should say, she might not have to work with him directly but he will still have control over her music and career

BoneyBackJefferson · 23/02/2016 18:45

For the reasons others have said its not a simple situation, but she hasn't been prevented from leaving Sony, as I see it at the moment she has 3 options

1/ buy out her contract
2/ get another record label to buy out her contract
3/ try to get a criminal case against Dr Luke

seafoodeatit · 24/02/2016 12:55

Allegedly isn't enough for a court of law, either start legal proceedings against him, put up or break the contract and face the consequences.

Tallulha · 24/02/2016 15:49

This one is a tough one. There's rarely strong evidence in rape/abuse cases, so I'm not going to hold that against her, but her lawyer lying about Dr Luke doing the same thing to Lady Gaga only to have her refute that claim and the fact that she's previously lied in court doesn't help her.

It doesn't matter if Dr Luke will have no physical involvement with Kesha from now on the issue is that because he is still under contract as her executive producer he'll get a say in the music itself, giving him, if the allegations are true another way to abuse her.

I can see why the judge ruled the way she did, but Kesha still has options as other's above have said.

Tram10 · 25/02/2016 08:16

Why was there ever a discussion/court case about abuse in 2011 ? how did that come about?

I also wonder about so many high profile female artists supporting Kesha publicly, do they 'know' something ? I wonder if there were whispers about him for a long time ?

There is definitely more to this !

prh47bridge · 25/02/2016 11:03

Why was there ever a discussion/court case about abuse in 2011 ? how did that come about?

Kesha had a management deal with DAS Communications. In 2008 she terminated that contract. In 2011 DAS Communications sued Kesha and Dr Luke claiming $14M from her and $12M from him. During this case she gave evidence under oath that directly contradicts the claims she is now making against Dr Luke. Amongst other things she specifically stated that Dr Luke had never made any sexual advances towards her. She now claims that this evidence was untrue and that she made these statements because she was under threat from Dr Luke. She also now says that Dr Luke intimidated and convinced her to leave DAS Communications which almost exactly the same language used by DAS.

There are further depositions Kesha gave in the 2011 case that have not yet been revealed publicly. Dr Luke's lawyer has hinted that these depositions contain evidence that her abuse claims are false and has challenged her legal team to make them public. They are currently refusing to do so.

Twinklestein · 26/02/2016 00:46

Apparently her manager was aware of the alleged abuse issues at the time (2011), so it doesn't look like it's something she's made up now to get out of her contract.

It wouldn't be the first time women have covered up for and colluded in abuse.

prh47bridge · 26/02/2016 00:57

Apparently her manager was aware of the alleged abuse issues at the time (2011), so it doesn't look like it's something she's made up now to get out of her contract.

Another possibility is that DAS made up abuse allegations in an attempt to extort some money from Dr Luke when she broke her contract with DAS. Having seen that case settled out of court with DAS being paid a substantial sum of money she has, perhaps, decided to try the same tactic herself.

I am absolutely not saying that is what has happened here. I have no idea who is telling the truth. I am simply pointing out that the allegations by DAS prove nothing.

Twinklestein · 26/02/2016 01:12

Doesn't sound very likely.

TheNewStatesman · 26/02/2016 01:26

Didn't she send birthday cards and friendly emails to him well after the date when the alleged abuse took place? There is something not quite right here.

wump · 26/02/2016 01:32

Didn't Adele say I am supporting Kesha in one of her acceptance speeches at the brits?

BoneyBackJefferson · 26/02/2016 07:01

Adele did say that she supported kesha but (from what I can find) she didn't say if it was against dr luke, sony or both.

Tram10 · 26/02/2016 11:18

OK, so her original management company claimed she was being controlled and abused by Dr. Luke, and she denied it at the time.

So many females have come out in public support of her that I tend to believe people know something, maybe the guy had some kind of reputation in the industry.

WeMustSurelyBeLearning · 09/03/2016 20:33

Sony are dropping Dr Luke, apparently because the case is turning into a PR nightmare and they don't want the bad press.

This, combined with the support Kesha has received from those in the industry makes me think there must be some truth to these allegations.

Twinklestein · 09/03/2016 21:04

This thread made me really irritated, so I went and read up in detail on her allegations about Dr Luke. Not just the recent court case.

Kesha claims she was in an abusive relationship with him from when she was very young (18ish). He pressured her to drop out of school to become a 'star', he pressured her to end her contract with DAS which lead to the previous court case, where she now claims she lied due to coercion. As I said above DAS were aware of his appalling treatment of her and it featured in the case.

She says he abused her physically, emotionally, sexually over a 10 year period.

I decided that I believed her on the basis of what she said. Not on the basis of the fact that rich powerful women are sticking up for her, which certainly helps her case, isn't and shouldn't be the determining factor. I don't believe women lie about such things as a general rule. I don't want to live Islamic stylee where a woman must have 4 male witnesses to 'prove' her case.

I think the female judge who refused to release her from the contract on the basis that there was no 'proof' of abuse in the form of hospital reports did women a disservice everywhere.

I believe you Kesha.

WeMustSurelyBeLearning · 09/03/2016 21:33

I believe her. I believe also that this type of abuse is rampant in the celebrity industry whether it's music, acting or modelling. Will anything ever be done to stop it? Highly doubtful

Twinklestein · 09/03/2016 22:10

What will help enormously is people like Kesha speaking out. And all the others.

Kelly Clarkson is the latest female star to go on record saying he is 'not a good person'.

Women can make a decision that they don't have to be treated like shit just to have a career.