By Mackenzie Cutruzzula
Columnist
In an unsettling decision on Friday, Feb. 19, a judge ruled that Kesha was not allowed to back out of her six-album deal with Sony Records. As the decision was announced that she would have to remain under the direction of her alleged rapist, Kesha was left sobbing in the courtroom. Her fans, however, went straight to social media to show their support for the singer, as well as their disdain for the judicial system. A 2010 tweet that insinuated violent tendencies from Dr. Luke, Kesha’s alleged rapist and producer, has begun to recirculate online in order to find justice.
The decision comes less than a year after Zayn Malik was allowed to walk away from his contract with One Direction under the pretense that he was simply unhappy.
Celebrities and fans alike have taken this opportunity to show that injustices and sexism remains quite prevalent in the entertainment industry. Demi Lovato took to Twitter on Sunday, Feb. 21, to show an outpouring of support for Kesha.
“Frustrating to see women come forward with their past only to be shot down, not believed & disrespected for their bravery in taking action,” Lovato tweeted.
Lovato encouraged women to use this opportunity to speak on behalf of women’s rights because she believes speaking up for other women, even when it is uncomfortable, is the key to unlocking female empowerment.
Taylor Swift initially chose not to comment on Kesha’s case and faced backlash from fans for tweeting about her latest single instead. Fans saw it as hypocritical of Swift to choose to be silent now after being the victim of what had been labeled as misogynistic lyrics only the week earlier. Swift addressed the problematic Kanye West lyrics in her Grammy acceptance speech on Monday, Feb. 15, for the award for album of the year.
Swift encouraged young women to focus on their work and to not let anyone else take credit for their success and fame. Fans hoped that Swift would step in to empower the fellow songstress and speak out against the misogynistic judicial system that is hindering Kesha’s success.
On Sunday, Feb. 21, Swift beat back against the backlash and chose to donate $250,000 toward Kesha in what she called “trying times.” Kesha’s mother tweeted about the donation and thanked Swift for taking action.
Lovato, however, condemned Swift for using her money to make a statement instead of simply speaking out against the clear injustice against Kesha.
“Take something to Capitol Hill or actually speak out about something and then I’ll be impressed,” Lovato tweeted, which sparked backlash from Swift’s fans.
For now, Kesha is able to work with other producers under the Sony label, but there are no repercussions for Dr. Luke currently. To interject my own opinion, my heart goes out to Kesha and I hope others continue to help her and other victims of abuse find justice.
