Sony Music Entertainment has broken its silence on Dr. Luke‘s ongoing legal war with Kesha…the young woman he is accused of sexually abusing.
Read below…
Sony lawyer Scott A. Edelman spoke to ‘The New York Times’ recently.
During their conversation they asked him why Sony is yet to free the ‘Backstabber’ performer from her contract which ties her to Luke, who she says drugged and abused her on several occasions.
His answer?
Sony is not in a position to terminate the contractual relationship between Luke and Kesha. 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.
Why this is the case?
Sources close to Billboard magazine explain that Kesha signed to Dr. Luke’s company in 2005 when she was 18-years-old.
Four years would pass before he would take Kesha to Sony Music subsidiary RCA/Jive, “signing what amounts to a distribution deal on that initial 2005 contract.”
Two years later, RCA/Jive CEO Barry Weiss left that company for Universal Music Group (he’s since moved on from UMG), which prompted the dissolution of RCA/Jive and the shuttling, yet again, of Kesha’s contract to Kemosabe Records, a new Sony Music subsidiary set up in the wake of RCA/Jive’s demise.
Through these various agreements, breakups, formations and transfers, Kesha’s contract was licensed to various Sony Music subsidiaries, but retained ownership of the agreement throughout.
Unfortunately, not everyone is convinced.
For, some of the star’s fans cite reports that the label offered to place with her with another one of their subsidiary’s as their reason for believing that it does have the power to free her from her current contract.
Keep it locked on TGJ for more on this developing story.
Sorry I’m all about freeing people from their sexual abuser, but where are all these artist and people when the black fans (human beings first) that help make them famous are being killed in the streets by cops?
SONY IS HORRIBLE.
Dr. Luke’s UGLY A_ss is the music industry’s Bill Cosby. He drugged and R**** this girl. RELEASE HER. Stop putting her thru Hell enough is enough.
BOYCOTT SONY
What are the facts? Can we wait on publically lynching this man until he has been found guilty of this first.it is all very much, he said she said.
Who said you were allowed to be this REAL
I am black and I am not being killed in the street by cops neither is anyone I know or associate with being threatened by cops. This false BS about cops is such bull s***. If ni— would stop acting a damn fool in school, on the streets , and just in general the cops wouldn’t be all up in their s*** trying to get them to act right. Go cops, lock all the fools up in the hood so I can get some sleep and my kids can go to school without having to be worried about being jumped.
Mess! They need to just free her from her contract all together! Like seriously whats the point of keeping an artist’s who is fuxking with your company name. Yet alone one that y’all are saying lied about her r*** accusations. Why keep her tied down??? Oh probably because she’s telling the truth and this is how they will keep her hush hush! Sony/Columbia can be evil to artists that go against them! MJ made that very clear! Don’t be surprised if Kesha ends up dead in a year or two. Poor girl! #FreeKesha!
If I invest 60 million in your career in thr words of riri b***h better have my money. Kesha aint going nowhere as long as those allegations are proved in criminal court
whether the rapes happened or not, we don’t know. The question is: if she knew she was being drugged and r**** then why did she not report it to police OR leave this man? Also, this contract is a SIX album contract, that’s a lot of music, and unfortunately business is business. This is an unfortunate result but let us not pretend like Kesha is an innocent minor who didn’t know what she was doing when she signed the contract in the first place. It seems rather odd that you would continue working with someone who repeatedly rapes you and abuses you emotionally Sad, but she signed the contract KNOwINGLY and in her good senses without cohesion or force thus the court’s hands are tied, literally.
spoken like someone who has no clue about how the cycle of abuse
Maybe you should be r**** and see how it feels. Business is business until a CRIMINAL event happens. Then the rules change.
SONY RELEASE THIS GIRL
Very smart response and I agree with nearly all. Well said.
“Backstabber” is my jam, though. I really hope she’ll eventually be freed from her contract, so that she can deliver some new music. Her career seriously depends upon how quickly this next lead single can be released. I wish the best of luck for her, but I think it’s safe to say that even if Dr. Luke is innocent it “doesn’t really matter” because it’s pretty much over for him now anyway. Kesha will now be the only artist that’ll work with him.
spoken like someone who has no clue about how the cycle of abuse works
Look at these women, Mariah, Janet, Britney, Whitney – they have had emotional events happen in there life. You can look in there eyes and see they are either Medicated, Depressed, battling some demons…behind those smiles you NEVER know what has happen to them. All have fake smiles.
Kesha is the 1st one to Stand up and fight.
You go girl.
This must be a similar contractual situation to what JoJo was going through
To me it seems like kesha isn’t technically sony artist. It seems like kesha is Luke artist. And because they distribute Luke label. She’s under sony umberella. But she is technically not their
Sony should discontinue its distribution with Luke’s label.
A set up from the very beginning! Of course Sony has power to release Kesh! ! Am not fooled, .
Its a damn shame how evil label are in the music business ke$ha will do her best way she know how to