Following a widely publicized dispute, Kesha’s upcoming Bob Dylan tribute at the Billboard Music Awards has officially been approved by Dr. Luke and his Kemosabe label. Reportedly, the label had declined permission to Kesha to perform as part of a tribute to the legendary folk singer but have since changed their mind.
The label released a statement that read, “Kesha’s performance on the Billboard Music Awards was always approved, in good faith. Approval was only suspended when Kemosabe learned Kesha was to use the performance as a platform to discuss the litigation.”
The statement further read, “Now that Kemosabe has obtained assurances, that it is relying upon, from Kesha, her representatives and Dick Clark Productions that neither Kesha nor her supporters will use the performance as such a platform, the approval has been restored.”
According to NME, Kesha is moving forward with further legal action against her former producer and mentor in an effort to be released from her contract.
Her first lawsuit against Dr. Luke failed this past April, but she is set to re-examine the rape allegations against him under oath in a new deposition. The original lawsuit was filed in October 2014 and cited “mental manipulation, emotional abuse and sexual assault.” Dr. Luke has denied all charges against him, but the lawsuit ignited a media frenzy and loads of #FreeKesha supporters.
The current state of affairs is that Kesha is allowed to work with other producers but Dr. Luke and Kemosabe receive a percentage of any profits she makes from her music. They also are apparently allowed to grant or deny permission for live performances, so it seems that the pop star is still largely under their control.
