Fans of troubled pop star Kesha are taking their support to the streets with a planned rally outside the headquarters of her record label, demanding she be released from her recording contract with producer Dr. Luke.
The Tik Tok star lost her battle against the producer last week (19Feb16), when a judge ruled the pop star could not terminate the contract she signed with Dr. Luke and Sony bosses a decade ago, despite the fact she's suing the hitmaker, claiming he sexually and emotionally abused her.
Since the verdict, Kesha has received an outpouring of support from fans and celebrities, including Reese Witherspoon, Anne Hathaway, Adele, Lena Dunham and Demi Lovato, while Taylor Swift donated $250,000 (£156,000) to cover her legal costs, and musicians Jack Antonoff and Zedd have offered to help produce new music.
And now devotees are hoping to make a change by gathering in front of Sony's offices in New York City on Friday afternoon (26Feb16), calling for label executives to dump the contract with Kesha.
"The #FreeKesha movement has shaken the pop culture community," said Care2 online organising strategist Lacey Kohlmoos in a statement. "Whether or not Kesha's music affected someone personally, this case represents the unfair treatment of sexual assault survivors around the globe. It is important for Sony to see the uproar they have caused, so protesters are bringing it right to their front door."
The rally's lead organiser, Michael Eisele, added, "Kesha was offered by Sony to record music with producers other than Dr. Luke. However, Kesha is signed with Kemosabe, Dr. Luke's recording label, which is under Sony Music's umbrella. Therefore, any music Kesha is expected to release will be under his label, have his name on it, earn him profits and will be undoubtedly left to plummet... regardless of who the producer is."
Fans previously rallied in support of the pop star at Sony offices in January (16), prior to the judge's decision.
Meanwhile, Kesha has shown her gratitude for all the support she's received over the past few days, by writing a heartfelt post on Facebook.
"This case has never been about a renegotiation of my record contract - it was never about getting a bigger, or a better deal," she wrote. "This is about being free from my abuser. All I ever wanted was to be able to make music without being afraid, scared, or abused.
"I think about young girls today - I don’t want my future daughter - or your daughter - or any person to be afraid that they will be punished if they speak out about being abused, especially if their abuser is in a position of power," she added.
