Since October 2014, Kesha has been fighting a lawsuit against producer Lukasz Gottwald, more commonly known as Dr. Luke, alleging that for the past nine years he emotionally, physically and sexually abused her, according to The Atlantic.

Dr. Luke is the founder of Kemosabe Records, the record company owned by Sony Records that Kesha has been signed to since 2005.

On Feb. 19, a New York Supreme Court justice ruled against allowing Kesha to get an injunction that would have allowed her out of that contract. The judge, Shirley Kornreich, ruled that there “has been no showing of irreparable harm,” according to BuzzFeed. 

Both Dr. Luke and Sony have called Kesha’s claims false and accused her of extortion, according to Slate. A countersuit they filed in 2014 called her claims “defamatory.”

Fans and other celebrities have been standing by Kesha to show their support. At the Brit Awards, Adele voiced her support in her acceptance speech of Best Female Vocalist, and Taylor Swift has donated $250,000 to try to help Kesha out of the contract.

Outside of the courthouse following the ruling, fans held signs that said, “Free Kesha.”

The Daily Orange interviewed Ulf Oesterle, an assistant professor at Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music and chair of the Department of Music and Entertainment Industries, to get insight on the subject from someone who has worked in the business.

The Daily Orange: What do you think of this situation?

Ulf Oesterle: The Dr. Luke and Kesha situation is an unfortunate one to say the least. You never want to see anyone be sexually abused and if the allegations are true, I feel as if Kesha’s human rights should be the focus of the story. I also feel that there is a lot of speculation by the public and until the case goes through the entire legal process, it is hard to know the full truth.

The D.O.: If Kesha refuses to produce more music with Dr. Luke, how will that affect the production company and music industry?

U.O.: If Kesha refuses to make music with Dr. Luke, it may not have that big of an impact on the greater industry in terms of sales figures or streaming numbers. Most singular artists not named Adele or Taylor Swift will not have a huge impact on the overall industry sales figures. It will impact Kemosabe Records if Kesha is not releasing music through them because she is a successful artist. More impactful than any sales figures is the focus that such a public case has on the industry talking about sexual assault.

The D.O.: Will Kesha’s own career suffer if she refuses to make music with Dr. Luke?

U.O.: This will depend on how the legal case goes. If Kesha is released from her contract, her career will still thrive. She has received tremendous support from the music business and more artists, producers or songwriters will want to work with her. If she does not get released from her contract, Kesha may decide to no longer put out records since they will be with Dr. Luke’s label.

The D.O.: Have there been other cases like this where an artist has successfully been released from their contract?

U.O.: I think this issue goes beyond contracts. The allegation is that the producer and label owner sexually assaulted the artist. The human factor in this equation is more important than any contract. If Kesha was assaulted, she deserves justice.

Published on March 7, 2016 at 10:36 pm

Contact Caroline: cbarthol@syr.edu