Taylor Swift gives Kesha $250,000 amid legal battle with producer Dr. Luke
In a sign of solidarity, Taylor Swift has donated $250,000 to Kesha to assist the singer during her legal battle against producer Dr. Luke.
Swift's spokesperson, Tree Paine, confirmed the gift to USA Today on Sunday, saying it was offered to "help with any of her financial needs during this trying time." In 2014, Kesha (born Kesha Rose Sebert) filed a lawsuit against Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, accusing him of "sexually, physically, verbally, and emotionally" abusing her for almost 10 years, starting at the age of 18, when she signed onto his record label.
Kesha filed a preliminary injunction to release her from her contract and allow her to record other music, but on Friday, New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich ruled against the singer, saying: "You're asking the court to decimate a contract that was heavily negotiated and typical for the industry." Several musicians have expressed their support for Kesha on social media, including Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, and Lorde, who tweeted on Friday she was standing with Kesha "through this traumatic, deeply unfair time."
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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