Yikes, does pop music may have another Phil Spector figure on its hands? Kesha is suing mega-producer and pop puppet master Dr. Luke, real name Lukaz Gottwald, for abuse spanning the entirety of their almost decade-long working relationship. Obtained by TMZ, the suit cites instances of alleged physical and verbal abuse, as well as at least one disturbing story of sexual assault:
Kesha claims after forcing her to drink with him, Dr. Luke gave her what he called "sober pills." Kesha claims she woke up the following afternoon, naked in Dr. Luke's bed, sore, sick … and with no memory of how she got there.
Kesha hopes the judge will emancipate her from her contract with Dr. Luke. "This lawsuit is a wholehearted effort by Kesha to regain control of her music career and her personal freedom after suffering for 10 years as a victim of mental manipulation, emotional abuse and an instance of sexual assault at the hands of Dr. Luke," her attorney, Mark Geragos, told TMZ. "The facts presented in our lawsuit paint a picture of a man who is controlling and willing to commit horrible acts of abuse in an attempt to intimidate an impressionable, talented, young female artist into submission for his personal gain. Kesha is focused on moving her life and her career beyond this terrible time."
Kesha has occasionally been candid about the fraught nature of their working relationship, especially in the wake of her second album Warrior, which performed disappointingly in comparison to her no.1 debut, Animal. When asked by Rolling Stone if she had any creative control over the creation of the album, she said "not really." "What's been put out as singles have just perpetuated a particular image that may or may not be entirely accurate," she continued. "I'd like to show the world other sides of my personality. I don't want to just continue putting out the same song and becoming a parody myself. I have so much more to offer than that and I can't wait till the world really gets to hear that on the radio."
A request for comment from Dr. Luke’s camp was not immediately returned.
UPDATE: Dr. Luke has filed a countersuit claiming Kesha attempted to extort him, threatening to leak trumped-up stories unless he let her out of her contract. Luke's lawyer, Christina Lepera, told TMZ that Kesha's claims were "outrageous and untrue," and that her team has already admitted the statements are false. Geragos responded with this statement: "This is just another pathetic and entirely predictable example of Dr. Luke’s continued abuse, and a misguided attempt to keep Kesha under his tyrannical control. This lawsuit has absolutely no basis in fact, the law or reality. Kesha is focused on reclaiming her voice and her freedom. She is determined to move on with her life and her career by putting this dark period behind her."
Lead image: Charley Gallay / Getty Images
