Could Sony be dropping Dr. Luke in order to escape public scrutiny as he battles Kesha's rape allegations? According to new reports, the answer is yes.
But don't think this makes Sony the good guy. According to The Wrap, Sony Music is dropping the producer and his imprint Kemosabe Records from their roster as public support has gone largely toward Kesha, who accused Dr. Luke of raping her and abusing her throughout their working relationship. Pop juggernauts from Adele to Lady Gaga to Kelly Clarkson have all come out in support of Kesha, and fans have petitioned for the label to support the "Timber" singer.
"There is no contest. Kesha has no case in regards to her contract but they can't afford the Adeles of the world out in the streets calling the label unsupportive. The fact that this hasn't already been taken care of with Luke is confusing, especially for people in the building," a label insider dished.
At the end of the day, Sony's relationship with Dr. Luke (real name: Lukasz Gottwald) is not worth all the negative PR, despite Kesha's lack of a case in contract law. That could also make Sony's decision to drop Dr. Luke one year ahead of his contract's original end a hard thing to actually do.
"Somebody has been convicted via Twitter," another insider said. "No court has convicted this person, so there may not be any legal basis to terminate an agreement. It would have to be mutual."
Sony's decision to drop Dr. Luke leaves his Kemosabe signees in limbo, or so it seems. Artists on his roster include Becky G, Lunchmoney Lewis and Juicy J. It's also unclear what this would mean, at the end of the day, for Kesha.
Dr. Luke's team denied that Sony is dropping him, according to TMZ.
