Kesha thanks fans after Kim Petras doubles down on Dr Luke defence

A headshot of musician Kesha

Kesha has thanked fans after #FreeKesha trended on Twitter, following a continued string of tone-deaf tweets from long-time Dr. Luke collaborator, Kim Petras.

In a series of now-deleted tweets, Petras defended working with Kesha’s alleged abuser, the music producer Dr. Luke.

The singer – who recently alluded to a potential split with the producer – tweeted “get talented or good at anything then talk to me”.

A fan responded, asking her to “stop defending dr luke first then”.

Petras replied: “5000000 ppl work with him why y’all only coming at me. I have nothing to say or be ashamed of at all. Go away”

Petras has now deleted both tweets. Following this, #FreeKesha has trended on the platform once again.

Kesha posted a simple “Thank you” from her Twitter account on Monday (28 November), showing her gratitude for the support she’s received following Petras’s tweets.

Music producer Dr. Luke had a civil lawsuit filed against him in 2014 by the singer Kesha, alleging emotional and sexual abuse.

The producer, whose real name is Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald, has continuously denied these claims. In 2020 a court found she defamed him in a 2016 text exchange with Lady Gaga. Legal proceedings between the two are ongoing.

Petras, who recently became the first trans musician to top the US Charts with Sam Smith collaboration “Unholy”, previously implied in a 2018 interview with NME that she didn’t believe Kesha’s claims, saying:

“I would like my fans to know that I wouldn’t work with somebody I believe to be an abuser of women, definitely not.”

Following Petras’s most recent tweets, fans have angrily pointed out that she is Gottwald’s most prominent collaborator, despite the accusations against him.

“I am literally SO tired of the gay community allowing dr luke’s career to continue through kim petras while kesha is completely blackballed in the industry at this point” one wrote