Dr Luke Says No Billboard Performance for Ke$ha

18 May, 2016

Kesha will no longer perform at Sunday’s Billboard music awards after the label founded by Dr Luke, the producer who she claims sexually assaulted her, reportedly “rescinded its approval”.

According to a statement released by Dick Clark Productions on Tuesday, the singer accepted the invitation to perform at the show before she “received written approval from Dr Luke’s record label, Kemosabe Records”. However, the label has since “rescinded its approval following a media report on Wednesday 11 May,” the statement continued.

Kesha and Dr Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, have been engaged in a legal battle since October 2014, when the singer first sued the producer and his companies in Los Angeles superior court. She is suing Gottwald in two states for sexual assault, battery, harassment and emotional distress. He denies the claims.

Kesha is still signed to Kemosabe Records after a judge in New York ruled against a motion to end her recording contract.

Kesha has recently released the track True Colors, her first song in three years, and was due to perform Bob Dylan’s It Ain’t Me Babe at the awards ceremony. She has refuted claims that she was to make reference to Dr Luke during her appearance.

“I’m very sad and sorry to say I won’t be allowed to do this,” she wrote on Instagram. “I just wanted to make very clear that this performance was about me honouring one of my favourite songwriters of all time and has never had anything at all to do with Dr Luke. I was never going to use a picture of him, speak of him or allude to my legal situation in any way.”

Dick Clark Productions’ executive vice-president of programming and development, Mark Bracco, believes that the artist may yet be able to appear at the event. In an interview with the Associated Press, Bracco said: “Honestly it would be really disappointing if she can’t be [there]. What was being planned would be a great moment and a great performance and a great song, and we hope that they can work it out because we’d really like for her to be on the show Sunday night and really show herself as the great musical artist that she is.”

The Billboard music awards, to be hosted by Ludacris and Ciara, will air live on ABC from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Madonna will honour Prince’s legacy at the show, and other performers include Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, the Go-Go’s, Celine Dion, Pink and Meghan Trainor.

Nominees for top artist include Bieber, Taylor Swift, Drake, the Weeknd and Adele, who can not attend the show because of her tour, but will debut a new music video at the event.

The Guardian

Image RollingStone twitter

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