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Celebs rally around Kesha as Dr. Luke calls claims 'outright lies'

 

 

As famous allies like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Lena Dunham rally around Kesha in the days following her loss in court against Dr. Luke, the producer broke his silence Monday to refute the claims against him.

"Imagine if you or somebody you loved was publicly accused of a rape you knew they didn't do. Imagine that," he wrote on Twitter in a series of statements defending himself.

"It’s sad that she would turn a contract negotiation into something so horrendous and untrue. But I feel confident when this is over the lies will be exposed and the truth will prevail.. I want to thank all my friends and family who have supported me throughout this."

In a statement to USA TODAY, Dr. Luke's lawyer, Christine Lepera, echoed his claims that his treatment in the public is unfair. "The allegations against him are outright lies that have been advanced to extort a contract renegotiation and money," she said. "Kesha and her counsel have cavalierly subjected Dr. Luke and his family to trial by Twitter, using a vicious smear campaign to ruin his reputation for financial gain while failing to support their claims."

Lepera challenged the #FreeKesha hashtag that her defenders have rallied around, after a judge ruled Friday against Kesha's attempts to exit her record contract with the producer. "[The court] found that Kesha is already 'free' to record and release music without working with Dr. Luke as a producer if she doesn’t want to. Any claim that she isn’t 'free' is a myth."

Lepera also cited a lack of physical evidence to challenge Kesha's charges of rape and abuse against Dr. Luke. "More significantly, the Court also noted multiple times that her vague abuse allegations were devoid of factual detail, and that there was no evidence, whether from doctors or anyone else, to support them," she wrote. 

But while Kesha's injunction failed Friday, the court of public opinion seems on her side. High-profile names continue to rally behind her case, with Taylor Swift supporting Kesha with a $250,000 donation and music industry peers like Lady Gaga tweeting their support. 

Lena Dunham wrote a pro-Kesha essay in her Lenny email newsletter Tuesday morning, writing that she "felt sick" when she heard about Friday's ruling. 

"Kesha’s case is about more than a pop star fighting for her freedom, or a $60 million investment in a shiny commercial career," she wrote. "What’s happening to Kesha highlights the way that the American legal system continues to hurt women by failing to protect them from the men they identify as their abusers."

Producer Jack Antonoff, who fronts the band Fun. and collaborated with Swift on her 1989 album, tweeted a "standing offer" to Kesha to record new music with him.

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