After a ruling was handed down Friday in Kesha‘s legal battle against music producer Dr. Luke, Lena Dunham has officially added her name to the pop star’s growing list of fiercely supportive celebrities.
In an essay published in Tuesday’s edition of Dunham’s newsletter, Lenny Letter, the Girls star documented her startled reaction to the news that Kesha’s request to release music outside of her contract had been shot down.
The 28-year-old performer sued the producer in 2014, claiming he had sexually assaulted her, and sought to be freed from recording contracts she had signed with him. On Friday, a preliminary injunction meant to release her from such contracts while her lawsuit remains pending was denied, marking the first official legal setback in her quest to separate herself physically and financially from Dr. Luke.
“When I saw the outcome of Kesha’s court case last Friday, I felt sick. Actually sick — I wanted to ask my Uber to pull over so I could throw up in a New York City trash can,” the self-proclaimed feminist penned.
“The photos of her beautiful face crumpled with tears, the legally necessary but sickening use of the word ‘alleged’ over and over in reference to the assault she says she remembers so vividly—it all created a special brand of nausea that comes when public events intersect with your most private triggers.”
READ: Dr. Luke Says He Didn’t Rape Kesha in Twitter Spree, Says Lies Will Be Exposed as Legal Battle Continues
New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich asserted that the singer would be able to continue working on her music without direct contact with her alleged assaulter.
“She’s being given the opportunity to record, she can record,” Page Six quoted the judge in court. “She does not have to have any interface at all with Mr. Gottwald in recording or producing.”
Dr. Luke’s attorney, Christine Lepera, reacted to the court’s outcome with confidence.
“As the Court recognized, Ms. Sebert has always had the ability to proceed with her career if she so chooses,” the lawyer said in a statement. “We remain confident that when all the facts are presented that Ms. Sebert’s allegations against Luke will be shown to be completely false and were asserted solely to extort money and gain contractual leverage.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Luke continued to clearly deny the allegations, tweeting a few days after the ruling, “I didn’t rape Kesha and I have never had sex with her. Kesha and I were friends for many years and she was like my little sister.”
Dunham explained the ruling and its potential implications in a far simpler, less positive light.
“Imagine someone really hurt you, physically and emotionally. Scared you and abused you, threatened your family. The judge says that you don’t have to see them again, BUT they still own your house. So they can decide when to turn the heat on and off, whether they’ll pay the telephone bill or fix the roof when it leaks,” she continued.
“After everything you’ve been through, do you feel safe living in that house?” she asked her readers. “Do you trust them to protect you?”
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