Music
Kesha's case against Sony and Dr. Luke has been completely thrown out
by Jesse Locke
April 7, 2016
'Every rape is not a gender-motivated hate crime,' said Judge Shirley Kornreich.
Three days after Kesha said Sony offered to break her contract if she recanted her rape allegations against producer Dr. Luke (a.k.a. Lukasz Gottwald), the pop star received her biggest legal blow yet. New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich has now completely thrown out Kesha’s case, siding 100% with the label and producer.
Following her February decision to deny Kesha’s injunction releasing the musician from a contract with Gottwald’s Sony-affiliated Kemosabe Records, the same Judge dismissed Kesha’s allegations that Dr. Luke “violated human rights and hate crime laws by drugging, sexually abusing and emotionally tormenting her.”
Ruling that Gottwald had not “harbored animus toward women or was motivated by gender animus when he allegedly behaved violently toward Kesha,” Kornreich added the following statement: “Every rape is not a gender-motivated hate crime.”
Billboard reported that Kornreich cited the lack of physical violence or property damage, and that Kesha’s claims of rape and abuse “can’t be predicated on abusive remarks and threats made over a 10-year period.” The Associated Press added that Kesha’s claims were thrown out due to jurisdiction issues: “The alleged incidents happened outside New York, stretch beyond legal time limits and don’t meet the high legal bar for ‘intentional infliction of emotional distress.’”
While the #FreeKesha movement has seen support from artists such as Adele, Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, and Taylor Swift, and rumours have circulated of Sony dropping Dr. Luke, the accused producer continues to plead his innocence.
