Kesha's ongoing battle with Lukasz Gottwald, most commonly known as Dr. Luke, just took an unexpected twist.
Dr. Luke has responded to Kesha releasing her emails with him, and about him, by releasing his own set of email exchanges in an effort to show his side of the story.
According to The Huffington Post, who obtained copies of the documents, the new documents contain emails between one of Kesha's managers and one of her assistants. The two — not Luke — discuss Kesha's weight and attempts at forcing her to diet. Additionally, the emails provide more background to the drama surrounding the lyrics in "Crazy Kids," which Kesha claims she was forced to sing lyrics she didn't want to. In her version of the story, Kesha says Dr. Luke told her he didn't give "a shit" if she was comfortable singing the lyrics or not. However, in the emails obtained by HuffPo, it appears that Kesha was given the chance to rewrite the line she did not like, and was even praised for her work. "We love the way it’s written but there are some lyrics she wasn’t comfortable saying in the verses ... mostly the part about fighting girls," reads one email. Another appears to cite resolution of the conflict with an unnamed recipient responding to Dr. Luke's request for a lyric change to accommodate Kesha reading: "Great...Feel free to alter them that suits her best."
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Lastly, Dr. Luke released a specific email in which he sounds extremely praiseworthy and supportive of Kesha's work. It was, according to the site, sent in 2010 and reads: "“I know you said you looked like a lesbo but I disagree ― you looked radiant and beautiful. You’re doing exactly what you’re meant to be doing right now. You’re actualizing your dreams. I’m proud of you and love you very much. xo L."
It doesn't come as a surprise that Luke's legal team has released emails as they have maintained since the beginning that many of the things Kesha's team has said about the producer have been taken out of context. On February 15, his legal team released a statement saying that "Kesha and her attorneys continue to mislead by refusing to disclose the larger record of evidence showing the bad faith of Kesha Sebert and her representatives which is greatly damaging to them." It continues: "Rather than agree to a thorough disclosure, Kesha and her representatives improperly publicized, without Court permission, three out-of-context emails which do not present the full picture regarding the events they concern."
These HuffPo documents are just a handful of what were likely daily email exchanges between Kesha and her team through Sony. A response from Kesha regarding the email is expected, as her and Dr. Luke have been in a very public court battle since 2014, when the singer claimed the well-known producer had mentally, physically, and emotionally abused her for years. Of course, there are two sides to every story, and this one email dump is not meant to correct the dozens of upsetting claims Kesha has made or tearfully referenced in interviews and public speeches. She also still has yet to release new music, being locked into her contract at the studio.
The friction between the two is at an all-time high as court dates keep being shifted and shady email leaks keep making headlines. Let's hope there's some resolve for both parties in the near future.