Kesha chokes up as she recounts years-long litigation with Dr. Luke in Alchemy of Pop Ted Talk: 'I've gained back legal rights over my own voice'
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Kesha was visibly emotional in her new Ted Talk as she described her struggle to persevere during her years-long legal battle with the music producer Dr. Luke.
In the video, which was released on Thursday, the 37-year-old singer spoke about how she used the emotions enveloping her during her litigation to fuel her creativity and songwriting.
Kesha announced she would be recording a Ted Talk back in March of this year, and she gave the presentation, titled The Alchemy Of Pop, in April in Vancouver.
Although she referenced her struggles in court and at her label with Dr. Luke, the songstress — born Kesha Rose Sebert — kept the details vague while instead focusing on her songwriting.
In particularly, she described the emotions at play writing her 2009 single Tik Tok — which was recorded in 2008, the years Kesha claimed she had been sexually assaulted by Dr. Luke after claiming he previously drugged and raped her in a 2005 incident — and her 2017 song Praying.
Kesha, 37, sounded choked up in her Ted Talk, The Alchemy Of Pop, as she shared her thoughts on songwriting while referencing her years of legal wrangling with the producer Dr. Luke
Kesha sued Dr. Luke — born Lukasz Gottwald — in 2014, claiming that years earlier he had drugged and raped her. He denied the allegations and later sued her for defamation; seen in 2014 in Hollywood
'I found myself in a very ugly litigation with the same person who I had signed the rights to my recorded voice to. I had lost the rights to my voice, and in that I felt as if I had lost the rights to myself,' Kesha said.
'It was very public. It was very painful. I was very angry. So I did what I do with all my emotions, and I wrote my way through it,' she continued.
The singer warned the audience that she might begin crying as she began to speak about regaining her freedom.
Although she was clearly choked up, she managed to keep speaking in a strong voice.
'On March 6, 2024, I gained back legal rights over my own voice. And with it, a newly found freedom for the first time in nearly 20 years,' she said defiantly, which elicited a wave of cheers and applause from the audience.
'It’s funny how you can lose the rights to your own voice, but you can never lose the rights to your truth,' she added.
Kesha primarily focused on how therapeutic her songwriting had been over the years, and she said that the process could help to heal personal emotional issues, both for the songwriter and for the listeners who were moved by their song.
She also described the tumultuous nature of songwriting, as she had to go deep within herself to find material for her songs.
Prior to recording her Ted Talk, Kesha taught the 2.5-week course The Alchemy of Pop Music earlier this year at Esalen.
Following Kesha's lawsuit claiming that Dr. Luke had drugged and raped her, which he has strenuously denied, the producer filed a defamation suit against her in which he said she made up the claims and had tarnished his character.
The lawsuits were finally settled in June 2023. During the announcement, Kesha said that 'only God knows what happened that night,' referencing the night she claimed she had been sexually assaulted.
'I found myself in a very ugly litigation with the same person who I had signed the rights to my recorded voice to. I had lost the rights to my voice, and in that I felt as if I had lost the rights to myself,' Kesha said while speaking about 2009's Tik Tok and 2017's Praying
'It was very public. It was very painful. I was very angry. So I did what I do with all my emotions, and I wrote my way through it'; seen in 2015 leaving the New York State Supreme Court
Dr. Luke is responsible for producing some of the biggest hits of recent decades, and he continues to have hits on the charts, though he now uses a pseudonym to avoid controversy; seen with Miley Cyrus in 2014
However, Dr. Luke said that he was 'absolutely certain that nothing happened. I never drugged or assaulted her.'
Kesha went on to say that she could not 'recount everything that happened,' on the night in question, but she wished 'nothing but peace to all parties involved.'
Dr. Luke — born Lukasz Gottwald — is one of the most successful producers of recent decades, and songs he produced have been a regular staple on the pop charts.
Kesha sued him in 2014, though Dr. Luke was never charged with any crime related to her claims.
