A Timeline of All The Sideline Drama To #FreeKesha

Over the weekend, news outlets and social media platforms alike exploded with drama and news on #FreeKesha. The 29-year-old singer whose Tik Tok still buzzes in our ears every now and then, had been on a career hiatus for almost three years now – for being involved in a heated lawsuit alleging sexual and emotional abuse by her producer Dr. Luke (Lukasz Gottwald). And last Friday, the New York Supreme Court denied Kesha Rose’s request for a preliminary injunction in the case – essentially ruling that she must, for now, maintain under Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe Records, which is owned by Sony. Of course, the fight is nowhere over, but strangely enough, while Kesha and her lawyers deal with the long road ahead, other famous celebrities have been caught in a dramatic side broil of their own (hintDemihintTaylor). Here’s a comprehensive timeline on what’s been going down. 
 
Friday, 19 Feb 2016
The New York Supreme Court denies Kesha’s request for a preliminary injunction in the lawsuit – which would have allowed her to record songs outside of her contract until the case has been finalised. Instead, Kesha must record six more albums under Kemosabe Records with Dr. Luke. Sony states that Kesha is in fact “free” to record with other producers within the label, but the singer spoke out to rue the hidden consequences of doing so – that Sony would never promote her music under other producers as they do Dr. Luke, who is apparently their biggest investment.
Outraged celebrities and fans alike take to Twitter and other social media to express their support, and madness ensues.
 
Saturday, 20 Feb 2016
The likes of Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and Lorde express their support for Kesha’s situation as well.

 
Sunday, 21 Feb 2016 
1. Demi Lovato throws some serious shade – supposedly at Taylor Swift, who, after her feminism-driven acceptance speech at the Grammy’s earlier this month, maintained silence on the topic. Fans (and haters) were quick to notice that her only move on social media was instead to announce the next single of 1989, “New Romantics”.
 

The shade continues… and all before bedtime.

 
2. It didn’t take long for Taylor to react – this time, though, not famously with words but with monetary support, donating a whopping US$250, 000 to Kesha “to help with any of her financial needs during this trying time”, a spokesperson for Swift told Billboard. 
 
Monday, 22 Feb 2016
Was Demi satisfied with this charitable act? Apparently not. The plot thickens as Demi lashed out in yet another fit of Twitter angst.

And even took the spat onto a Taylor Swift Fan Instagram page. Yikes!

 
Tuesday, 23 Feb 2016
And all of a sudden, the storm blows over? Demi posts a public apology on Instagram qualifying her actions and urging the focus back onto the real issue – the injustice towards a female victim of sexual assault.
 

As most people know, I tend to get fired up about the things I believe in, and although my heart and intentions are always in the right place, unfortunately sometimes my passion gets the best of me and causes me to say things that I probably shouldn’t say. And when doing so it takes away from the real reason I am speaking up in the first place. Our focus should be on the topic of victims of sexual and physical abuse being afraid to come forward with their stories. They’re more likely to face retaliation and harassment than to see justice being served. Especially women. It baffles me that when it comes to serious issues like equality and abuse, too often women are not taken as seriously as men. All I want to see is women coming together and actually making a difference. A real change and shift in society. Everyone has their own way of giving support to others , and at the end of the day, helping victims is all that matters. Ultimately, the message I want people to hear is it’s okay to come forward with your abuse and if you do decide to take action, you are not alone.

A photo posted by Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) on Feb 22, 2016 at 4:02pm PST

 
Plus, Dr. Luke himself breaks his social media silence to personally address the allegations against him.
 

 
 
It isn’t the most convincing of arguments of course, although it does seem to allude a little to Steven Avery’s false arrest on Making A Murderer on Netflix. But honestly, right now, that means nothing.
 
   
 
Wednesday, 24 Feb 2016
It’s a lot of (unnecessary) drama to stomach over four days. But like a true fighter, Kesha’s putting it aside with an Instagram selfie and a tearful thank you to her fans. We can only hope this is the last of petty brawls taking away the real importance of the issue.  

I am beyond words in gratitude. thank you is not enough but it is all I have. a million times over and forever thank you. the support I have received has left my face swollen from tears. I love you all so much. ❤️ a statement too large for this format is coming….A photo posted by Kesha (@iiswhoiis) on Feb 23, 2016 at 4:35pm PST

 
Our hearts are with you, Kesha.
 
Featured image from instagram.com/ddlovato