In a furious Instagram post Sunday, embattled pop star Kesha claimed she had been offered “freedom” – presumably from her binding contract with Sony producer Lukasz Gottwald, aka “Dr. Luke” – if she publicly recanted her accusation that he sexually assaulted her.
She made it clear that this offer had outraged her.
“I would have to APOLOGIZE publicly and say that I never got raped,” she wrote in a caption below a solemn, fresh-faced selfie. “I will not take back the TRUTH. I would rather let the truth ruin my career than lie for a monster ever again.”
A representative for Dr. Luke did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Dr. Luke has emphatically denied Kesha’s allegations, and no criminal charges have been filed against him.
It was the latest salvo in a battle that has played out as much in social media as it has in the courts. The 28-year-old singer, born Kesha Rose Sebert, sued Dr. Luke in October 2014, claiming that he had drugged and raped her and subjected her to years of profound emotional and psychological abuse. She asked that the court release her from a contract that requires her to produce six records with Dr. Luke, one of the industry’s top hitmakers and the owner of Sony Music-owned Kemosabe Records. Dr. Luke quickly countersued, accusing Kesha of defamation and lying about her claims just to get out of her contract and find a more lucrative deal elsewhere.
In February, a New York Supreme Court justice declined a preliminary injunction that would have temporarily permitted Kesha to record music outside her label while the legal case plays out. As news of the decision – and photos of Kesha sobbing in the courtroom – began to circulate on social media, thousands of supporters rallied behind the singer with the hashtag #FreeKesha. More than 230,000 have signed an online petition demanding that she be released from her legal agreement with Sony, and a growing number of A-list celebs – including Adele, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift – also voiced strong support for Kesha.
Dr. Luke defended himself on Twitter in February, saying that he’d never raped or had sex with Kesha.
“Kesha and I were friends for many years, and she was like my little sister,” he wrote.
He also pointed out that Kesha’s accusations contradicted her previous testimony during a 2011 deposition in an unrelated court case, in which Kesha’s previous management firm was suing Kesha and Dr. Luke for breach of contract. At the time, Kesha said under oath that Dr. Luke had never drugged her or made a sexual advance toward her.
Kesha’s attorney responded by saying that she was forced to lie because Dr. Luke had threatened to “destroy Kesha’s life and the lives of her family” if she didn’t.
Dr. Luke has continued to be plagued by bad publicity in recent weeks. Last month, pop diva Kelly Clarkson told Entertainment Weekly that she’d had an unpleasant relationship with the producer, and said she was “blackmailed” into working with him by her label.
“He’s difficult to work with, kind of demeaning,” Clarkson said. “Obviously, the dude is a talented guy, but character-wise, no.”
Soon after, reports circulated that Sony was severing ties with Dr. Luke – but his attorney quickly denied that claim, saying that Dr. Luke “has an excellent working relationship with Sony.”
Kesha has said repeatedly that her accusations were not driven by a desire for more money or attention, and that she feels a responsibility as a role model to other victims of abuse.
“All I ever wanted was to be able to make music without being afraid, scared or abused,” she wrote in a Facebook post in February. “I think about young girls today – I don’t want my future daughter – or your daughter – or any person to be afraid that they will be punished if they speak out about being abused, especially if their abuser is in a position of power.”
