Sony Breaks Silence on Dr. Luke, Kesha Battle
Sony Music has addressed the ongoing legal dispute between Kesha and Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald, with Scott Edelman, a lawyer representing the label, telling The New York Times, “Sony has made it possible for Kesha to record without any connection, involvement or interaction with Luke whatsoever, but Sony is not in a position to terminate the contractual relationship between Luke and Kesha.”
Edelman’s statement comes after a judge denied the pop star’s request to be released from her contract with the producer’s Sony imprint, Kemosabe Records. Kesha has claimed that Dr. Luke sexually assaulted and abused her, though the hitmaker has denied the accusations.
“Sony is doing everything it can to support the artist in these circumstances, but is legally unable to terminate the contract to which it is not a party,” Edelman added.
As Rolling Stone detailed, Sony cannot terminate Kesha’s contract because it belongs to Dr. Luke’s company, Kasz Money, which has a separate deal with Sony’s RCA/Jive subsidiary. Furthermore, no criminal charges have been filed against Gottwald, with several entertainment lawyers arguing that the label could not break the contract on allegations alone.
Edelman’s comment to the Times that Kesha can still record under the Sony umbrella without working with Dr. Luke reiterate those made by the producer’s lawyer, Christine Lepera, on Monday: “The New York County Supreme Court on Friday found that Kesha is already ‘free’ to record and release music without working with Dr. Luke as a producer if she doesn’t want to. Any claim that she isn’t ‘free’ is a myth.”
Still, last week’s ruling against Kesha prompted the re-emergence of the #FreeKesha movement, which garnered support from Lady Gaga, Lorde, Snoop Dogg and others. Taylor Swift also donated $250,000 to the pop star, while Adele lent her support during an acceptance speech at the Brit Awards in London Wednesday.
In a note posted to Facebook Wednesday, Kesha wrote, “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. I would be willing to work with Sony if they do the right thing and break all ties that bind me to my abuser.”