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The Music Contract At The Heart Of The #FreeKesha Story

Published February 23, 2016 at 10:00 AM EST
Pop star Kesha, center, leaves Supreme court in New York, Friday, Feb. 19, 2016. Kesha is fighting to wrest her career away from a hitmaker she says drugged, sexually abused and psychologically tormented her _ and still has exclusive rights to make records with her. Producer Dr. Luke says the singer is slinging falsehoods and ruining his reputation to try to weasel out of her recording contract and strike a new deal. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Pop star Kesha, center, leaves Supreme court in New York, Friday, Feb. 19, 2016. Kesha is fighting to wrest her career away from a hitmaker she says drugged, sexually abused and psychologically tormented her _ and still has exclusive rights to make records with her. Producer Dr. Luke says the singer is slinging falsehoods and ruining his reputation to try to weasel out of her recording contract and strike a new deal. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

The hashtag #FreeKesha spiraled around social media feeds this weekend, drawing attention to the ongoing legal struggles of pop artist Kesha. The singer’s Friday hearing in a New York Supreme Court to issue a preliminary injunction against continuing a contract requiring her to record with her longtime producer, Dr. Luke — who she alleges drugged, raped and abused her — did not resolve itself in her favor. Eriq Gardner, senior editor at the Hollywood Reporter, joined us today to explain the complicated music industry law at the heart of the case, and what next steps Kesha may take to resolve this ongoing legal battle.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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