Kesha’s request to be released from her recording contract with Sony under producer Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe label has been denied. BuzzFeed’s Mary Georgantopoulos reports that a judge rejected the singer’s injunction at a hearing in New York City on Friday, where dozens of Kesha fans gathered in support of the #FreeKesha movement. The judge claims “there has been no showing of irreparable harm†against Kesha’s career; the singer is suing Dr. Luke for sexual and emotional abuse and Sony for its alleged negligence.
In her decision, the judge also noted that Sony has given Kesha the opportunity to record without Dr. Luke’s involvement — a claim Kesha’s lawyers argued is an “illusory promise†designed to set Kesha up for failure because Sony has allegedly “sided with Dr. Luke†and, as such, wouldn’t promote her music. (Sony argued at the hearing that it is interested in both the success of Kesha and Dr. Luke, but that those interests “are not in the least bit mutually exclusive.â€) “You’re asking the court to decimate a contract that was heavily negotiated and typical for the industry,†the judge said, while a reportedly sobbing Kesha sat in the back of the courtroom with her mother, who recently won a legal dispute against Dr. Luke. Prior to the hearing, Kesha told fans on Instagram, “This is for every woman who has been abused.â€