Fans Are Petitioning for Sony to 'Free Kesha' Amid Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

Fans of Kesha have launched a petition in response to her legal clash with Sony, which is preventing the pop star from releasing new music during her lawsuit against Dr. Luke. A protest is also being planned for January at her trial in New York.

While Kesha filed a lawsuit accusing Dr. Luke of sexual abuse, she’s still currently signed to the producer’s Sony imprint, Kemosabe, and it’s blocking the pop star from recording or releasing music unless Luke is involved.

The latest is that her lawyers have filed an injunction to legally force Sony to allow its currently inactive pop star to record new material.

In response to the legal proceedings, there’s a petition that now has a little over 82,000 signatures, and calls for Sony to release Kesha from a contract that essentially requires her to work alongside her alleged abuser.

The petition lays out the specifics of her case and states:

It’s our hope the court grants this injunction, but Sony can end all of this right now by voluntarily terminating Kesha’s contract with Dr. Luke.

As for the fan protest, it’s loosely taking place in January outside the New York courthouse where Kesha’s trial will be set. It’ll follow the recent campaign in Brazil, which Kesha acknowledged on her Instagram account, posting images with the caption “I’m crying. thank you. thank you.”

The Twitter fan account @KeshaTODAY tweeted this video in support.

An 18-year-old named Michael who helps run the Twitter account told Jezebel in an email that he’s spearheading the protest in New York, describing himself as a “campaign coordinator.”

“Sony needs to make the right decision and protect their artist because obviously Kesha is not going to work with the man who she says sexually abused her,” Michael writes. “Yes there is a such thing as a contract. But there is also something called a flagrant disregard for human rights. My only hope is that Sony recognizes the voices of those who show to protest on the day of court. I want them to see dozens of Kesha’s fans covered in glitter, holding signs, and peacefully protesting for Kesha’s career.”