Sony Music will reportedly drop Dr. Luke in the wake of Kesha’s rape allegations against the producer. According to TheWrap, “knowledgeable individuals” say that the label is ending their working relationship with the much-criticized producer a year before his contract expires. Kesha initially accused Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald of sexual assault in 2014, and in February, a judge denied her a preliminary injunction that would have freed her from her contractual obligation to continue to create music with her alleged abuser. A wave of public backlash and the #FreeKesha movement ensued. Big-name artists including Adele and Kelly Clarkson have since publicly spoken out against Dr. Luke as well.
“There is no contest. Kesha has no case in regards to her contract but they can’t afford the Adeles of the world out in the streets calling the label unsupportive,” a source told TheWrap. “The fact that this hasn’t already been taken care of with Luke is confusing, especially for people in the building.”
[articleembed id=”183913″ title=”We Have All Degraded Kesha” image=”184136″ excerpt=”Pink once tapped into previously unexplored territory on 2001’s wonderfully self-deprecating “Don’t Let Me Get Me,” when the gruff chart mega-hitter sang about dating her teachers and not being as pretty as “damn Britney Spears”]
Few other details about the specifics of Sony’s reported plans to drop the Top 40 hitmaker have been revealed. According to TheWrap, a unilateral dissolution of Sony and Dr. Luke’s contract would be “a direct breach,” and it’s likely that the two parties will work towards a negotiated exit to “save face on both sides.” More updates as this story develops.
