Judge Denies Kesha’s Request To Be Released From Sony Contract

Kesha broke down during court proceedings in New York City today, after a judge denied her request to be released from her Sony contract. "You're asking the court to decimate a contract that was heavily negotiated and typical for the industry," the judge told the singer's attorney. This came after the judge denied claims that the label was setting her up to fail, by refusing to promote music that Kesha recorded with producers other than Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald. Kesha alleged in 2014 that her longtime producer assaulted her sexually, verbally, and physically across a decade. At the time, her lawsuit also alleged that Gottwald had given her drugs and alcohol to aid his unwanted sexual advances. It also claimed that he threatened to kill the singer’s dogs. Gottwald filed his own suit against the "Tik Tok" singer, claiming that she's attempting to renege on her contract with his label, Kemosabe Records. Earlier this month, his countersuit was dismissed. Kesha's fans have rallied around her since abuse allegations came to light. A petition titled "#FreeKesha! Tell Sony Not to Force Her to Work With Her Alleged Abuser" had garnered more than 119,000 signatures at the time this piece way published. Correction: A previous version of this story referred to the ruling taking place in Los Angeles. The verdict was actually given by the Manhattan Supreme Court in New York City. Refinery29 apologizes for the error.