The long-awaited court case of Kesha Sebert versus Dr. Luke’s (Lukasz Gottwald) has reached a verdict. Sebert sat in front of  New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich, and the verdict was not what the pop singer was hoping for.
On Feb. 19, the court denied Sebert’s request to have her contract with Sony Music be nullified.
The court felt it would undermine the state’s laws governing contracts, and the court couldn’t do that.
Sebert was signed to Dr. Luke’s recording label, Kemosabe Records, in 2005, at the age of 18. Shortly after her 18th birthday. Billboard.com reported, Sebert claimed Gottwald drugged her with a pill and raped her while she was unconscious. Gottwald was never charged for this offense.
A mob of fans waited on the steps of the Manhattan court house brandishing signs that read “Free Kesha,” and one sobbing fan received a hug from an equally heartbroken Sebert when the news of the verdict spread, Billboard.com reported.
The singer, who has not released any music since her 2012 album “Animal,” is contracted to make six more albums with Sony Music, and according to the judge, it would harm the company tremendously if she were to step away from the contract now.
Sony Music has offered Sebert a chance to record with a different producer, but she said she fears the company won’t promote her music as heavily if she’s not working with Gottwald, their biggest hit maker, the New York Daily News reported.
Over the weekend, celebrities from all different spectrums of the music and film industry have shown their support for the singer.
“My heart is with Kesha,” Ariana Grande tweeted.
“There are people all over the world who love you @KeshaRose,” Lady Gaga tweeted. “And I can say truly I am in awe of your bravery.”
The hashtags #FreeKesha, #IStandWithKesha and #SonySupportsRape hasve trended, and are still trending on Twitter.
If this situation could get any worse, Sebert is now looking at her music career possibly falling through completely.
According to Billboard.com, she has submitted an affidavit from Jim Urie, who was president and CEO of Universal Music Group Distribution from 2003 until earlier this year. Urie states that without an injunction, Sebert’s career is “toast.”
“No mainstream distribution company will invest the money necessary to distribute songs for an artist who has fallen from the public eye, as is happening to Kesha at this very moment,” Urie told Billboard.com. “If she cannot immediately resume recording and having her music promoted, marketed and distributed by a major label, her career is effectively over.”
According to Billboard.com, Sebert claimed in her affidavit that Gottwald did not only emotionally, psychologically and sexually abuse her, but he also took credit for songs he did not write. She claims that she does not feel safe anymore with the idea of working with him.
On the contrary, a spokesperson of Gottwald said in a statement that they were confident the injunction would be denied because it was “without merit.”
“Kesha continues to make the same false claims of abuse against Dr. Luke she testified never happened under penalty of perjury,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “As with all pleadings in this case, her affidavit is vague and unsubstantiated, with pivotal details such as dates fudged and notably fails to address her unequivocal prior sworn testimony to the contrary.”
Not only is the lawsuit and the verdict making headlines, but now the question of rape culture is being brought up.
“It took 50 women coming forward before Bill Cosby saw a criminal charge, so it’s pretty evident how lonely a fight it can be when there’s only one of you,” Natalie Finn wrote for E! Online.
Both Madonna and Lady Gaga have spoken out about being victims of sexual assault. They both also suggested that they just didn’t want to deal with any additional trauma that reporting it would bring.
According to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, 68 percent of sexual assaults are never reported to the authorities. The report also states that only 2 percent of rapers serve time.
“I have nothing left to hide,” Sebert wrote on Instagram earlier last week in anticipation of the hearing. “I did this because the truth was eating away my soul and killing me from the inside. this is not just for me. this is for every woman, every human who has ever been abused. sexually. emotionally. mentally. I had to tell the truth. so the outcome will be what it will be. there’s nothing left I can do. it’s just so scary to have zero control in your fate. but this is my path this life for whatever reason…. #Friday.”