A year after filing a lawsuit against her producer for sexual abuse and rape, pop star Kesha’s musical career is at a standstill.
The “Warrior” singer claims in a lawsuit the abuse began when she signed with Lukasz Gottwald, known as Dr. Luke, when she was 18.
Kesha is currently signed to Gottwald’s Kemosabe Records, meaning she cannot work until the lawsuit is resolved, according to Salon.com.
After Kesha filed the lawsuit against Gottwald in October 2014, he retaliated with a defamation suit and breach of contract, according to Rolling Stone.
Though Kesha’s reputation as a wacky party girl precedes her, we cannot help but examine the repercussions she received for coming forward with her abuse.
Kesha has not released any new music since her feature with Pitbull’s “Timber” in 2013
However, Gottwald has not faced any repercussions.
The hashtag, #FreedomForKesha began trending on Twitter, where supporters demanded the songstress to be freed from her contract
One supporter tweeted, “Kesha was sexually assaulted for a decade by her producer. She comes forward and now she can’t make music. #FreedomForKesha.”
Not only could this discourage other rape survivors to come forward, but it also highlights the disparities between how society treats the victim versus the accused.
Kesha’s battle continues as she pleads with a New York judge to grant her a temporary injunction allowing her to continue her work before it reaches the “point of no return.”
“I cannot work with this monster,” Kesha wrote in the affidavit.
In the past, the music industry hasn’t been too friendly to Kesha. Billboard circulated a poll via Google Docs, asking industry executives if they believed Kesha or Gottwald.
In January 2014, Kesha also entered rehab to seek treatment for an eating disorder her mother claimed Gottwald triggered, according to People Magazine.
Apparently our society finds it difficult believing the victims of rape.
New York Magazine published a piece about Bill Cosby, who has been accused of sexual assault by 46 women, in July.
Cosby told some of those women that no one would believe them, so they should not bother to speak up.
It took decades for their stories to finally be told and for many to come forward.
Yet Cosby has not been charged of any crimes, and many people call the allegations against “The Cosby Show” star into question.
By perpetuating the idea that rape victims are lying or by telling them no one will listen to them, we are only encouraging them to remain silent.
It took Kesha 10 years after her abuse began before she gained the courage to speak up about the abuse from her producer.
She battled an eating disorder, went through therapy and now she cannot make music again until the lawsuits are settled.
We know we have a problem when rape victims face heavier scrutiny and backlash than their rapists.
It is Gottwald’s career, not Kesha’s, that should be on the line.
nrowthor@indiana.edu
@nrowthornIU
