On Friday, February 19th, 2016, pop singer Kesha went to court with her producer, Dr. Luke. For the past two years Kesha has struggled with lawsuits involving the producer and hopes to be released from her contract with him. The singer claims Luke abused her sexually and emotionally throughout her career. She linked the abuse to her time struggling with bulimia which landed her in rehab for a period of time. Ever since she went public with her stories of the abuse, she has been unable to make music. Kesha has come out and stated she refuses to work with her abuser, as it makes her feel unsafe to think about. 

Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich said that Kesha was “asking the court to decimate a contract that was heavily negotiated and typical for the industry.” Fans were outraged, taking to social media platforms to express their displeasure with the result of the court case, pointing out forcing Kesha to work with her alleged abuser does not solve anything and claiming Dr. Luke and Sony Music have no care for her well-being.

Fans were shocked to find she was denied her request for preliminary injunction. On February 19th, her fans even got the hashtag on Twitter #Free Kesha trending to show support for her. Hashtags “Boycott Sony” and “Sony Supports Rape” were created in the midst of the outrage as well. Many were shocked and deeply saddened to see pictures of Kesha sobbing in the courtroom after being told she will have to continue working with her alleged abuser. Fans spoke out that the result of the case furthered rape culture and victim blaming. It didn’t take long after that for several celebrities to take to Twitter and comment on the situation. 

Celebrities Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Lorde, and many others sent condolences out to Kesha, many saying their thoughts are with her and to keep being strong. Singer Demi Lovato had more to say on the issue. She posted on Twitter, “Frustrating to see women come forward with their past only to be shot down, not believed & disrespected for their bravery in taking action. Happens way too often. I’m ready for women to be taken just as seriously as men.. Someone tell me why anyone would ever feel brave enough to come forward if they are most likely to be ignored or called a liar?” Singer Halsey tweeted out “Disgusted by anyone in power positions abusing their authority. My heart breaks for Kesha and all the people affected by this toxicity.” Rapper Iggy Azalea added in two tweets as well, “If two people don’t want to be in business with one another it seems very cruel for one to hold the other in a contract. I’m not accusing anyone of anything but I believe Kesha deserves the ability to move forward, create and earn a living.” Singer Taylor swift even donated 250K to support Kesha in her hard times and help to cover any funds during the court cases.

Kesha herself remained silent for a few days after the case but spoke out on Wednesday, February 24, stating “I’m so, so beyond humbled and thankful for all the support I’ve received from everyone. Words cannot really express the emotions I’ve gone through reading and seeing how amazing everyone has been to me.” She went on later to say “All I ever wanted was to be able to make music without being afraid, scared, or abused. This case has never been about a renegotiation of my record contract- it was never about getting a bigger, or a better deal. This is about being free from my abuser.”

Many fans of Kesha’s shared their own abuse stories over social media and wished her the best of luck, saying they understood what it was like to be abused and feel like there was no way out. Others took a more direct attack at the case stating it is results like this that makes abused women not speak up and not feel safe enough to come out with their stories. Kesha has said “this issue is bigger than just about me” and admitted, “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.”

The more time that passes, the more female celebrities especially continue to show their support for Kesha. Fans of Kesha and other artists have truly banded together in this time to support the singer and show Sony and Dr. Luke that they are believed to be in the wrong. The Boycott Sony petition has raised 244, 270 signatures as of the 24th and a GoFundMe account to assist in Kesha buying out her contract from Sony has raised $19, 970.

Actresses Anne Hathaway and Reese Witherspoon praised an open letter of Lena Dunham’s saying it sums up the case very well. Hathaway said “Kesha’s situation is just one of all-too-many examples of how the legal system in this country fails to protect victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence, the vast majority of whom are women.” Dunham herself wrote in her open letter that “What’s happening to Kesha highlights the way that the American legal system continues to hurt women by failing to protect them from the men they identify as their abusers.”

It is heartwarming to see the amount of support Kesha has received from fans and her peers. This is the biggest roadblock she could face in her road to freedom from Dr. Luke but many remain confident she will find a way to continue making music in a safe, healthy environment.