Kesha Rose Sebert, better known by her stage name Kesha, was refused a preliminary injunction on Feb. 19 that would temporarily nullify the contract that she currently has with Sony Records. The cause of the desired injunction was to get away from her record producer, Luke Gottwald, also known as Dr. Luke, who she claims raped her a decade ago. I am stunned by the complete disregard for Sebert’s health. Despite Gottwald never being formally charged, there should be no deliberation as to whether or not he is removed from the company and Sebert is released from her contract. The focus of the company should not be on how these actions may affect the company’s profit. Instead, they should focus on taking proper actions to ensure the safety, both physically and emotionally, of one of their clients who was and continues to be victimized.

According to the New York Daily News, the Manhattan Supreme Court judge claimed that there was not enough evidence to support Sebert’s case. The New York Daily News reported, “Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich said she thought Sony would suffer irreparable harm if Kesha was not compelled to abide by a contract that requires her to make six more albums with the company.” The fact that there has been a greater concern expressed for the sales of Sony Records than for the well-being of a possible victim of sexual assault is morally repugnant, but also unsurprising. Women are seldom taken seriously when they accuse their rapist of assaulting them, and even if there is a lack of evidence given that the rape would have occurred a decade ago, Sony should not be defending Gottwald for the sake of him possibly being a “better investment.”

Although fans and celebrities alike have been rallying behind Sebert, simply showing support on social media by using the Twitter hashtag #FreeKesha is not enough. Moving forward, I hope that Sebert continues to pursue her case against Gottwald and not be discouraged by the recent turn of events. Sebert, and all victims of sexual assault, deserve to work and exist in an environment where they are not in constant fear because as far as I am concerned, you cannot put a price on safety.

About The Author

-- Online Editor-in-Chief Emeritus-- Digital Journalism

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.