Kesha Will Perform at Billboard Music Awards Sunday
Singer and her label have reached an agreement for her to perform after all.
— -- It looks like Kesha will be performing at this weekend's Billboard Music Awards after all. This, as her ongoing legal battle with her producer, Dr. Luke, and her record label continues.
Her recording label, the Sony-owned Kemosabe Records, released a statement this afternoon saying, "Kesha’s performance on the Billboard Music Awards was always approved, in good faith. Approval was only suspended when Kemosabe learned Kesha was to use the performance as a platform to discuss the litigation. Now that Kemosabe has obtained assurances, that it is relying upon, from Kesha, her representatives and Dick Clark Productions that neither Kesha nor her supporters will use the performance as such a platform, the approval has been restored."
Dick Clark Productions also released a statement today saying, "We are pleased that Kesha and Kemosabe Records have reached an agreement and very much look forward to having Kesha perform on the Billboard Music Awards this Sunday night on ABC."
Kesha's performance was in doubt earlier in the week when Dick Clark Productions released a statement saying she would not be performing at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards on May 22 as originally planned after Kemosabe rescinded permission allowing her to sing.
The announcement set off a firestorm among her fans, who have been following Kesha's legal battle with her record producer, Dr. Luke, and his Kemosabe label.
In 2014, Kesha, 29, accused Dr. Luke of being physically, emotionally and sexually abusive toward her. As a result, she sought to be released from her contract with Sony.
The producer, whose given name is Lukasz Gottwald, has denied all allegations of wrongdoing, and earlier this year, a judge ruled against the singer, holding her to her contract with Sony. Kesha appealed, but that appeal was denied last month.
On Wednesday, her mother, Pebe Sebert, took to Twitter to express her outrage over Kesha’s being barred from performing at the Billboard Awards.
So are Keshas constitutional rights being violated now, judge Lady?Does every adult woman need a mans permission to do what she loves?
— keshas mom (@grannywrapper) May 18, 2016
Does Kesha have the right to pursue her happiness? Or did they only mean that for rich men?
— keshas mom (@grannywrapper) May 18, 2016
Sebert called on other artists to stand with her daughter and refuse to perform at the awards show.
Wouldn't it be nice if other artists stood with Kesha and refused to preform if she is not allowed to sing!
— keshas mom (@grannywrapper) May 18, 2016
As for the singer herself, Kesha wrote on Instagram Tuesday that she had planned to perform Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me, Babe" at the Billboard Music Awards, adding that the performance, "was about me honoring one of my favorite songwriters of all time and has never had anything at all to do with Dr. Luke."