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The battle between Kesha and her producer, Dr. Luke, continues. In a statement released on Tuesday, Dick Clark Productions, the producer of the Billboard Music Awards, announced that Kesha’s upcoming performance has been cancelled. Kesha was scheduled to perform on the awards show on Sunday, May 22. “Kesha accepted an invitation to perform on the show and she received written approval from Dr. Luke’s record label, Kemosabe Records,” the statement reads. Kemosabe Records reversed its decision on May 11 and since then, Kesha and the record company have been “unable to come to an agreement for Kesha to perform on the show.”
A report by TMZ claims the cancellation is Dr. Luke’s attempt to stop Kesha from making a public statement about her legal disputes with him and Sony. In October 2014, Kesha filed a lawsuit against Dr. Luke, citing the two had a problematic working relationship that involved abuse and harassment.
While Dick Clark Productions remains optimistic that Kesha and Kemosabe Records will come to an agreement, Kesha expressed her disappointment at the news on her Instagram account. “I was very excited to perform a tribute to Bob Dylan by singing a cover of ‘It ain’t me, babe’ at the Billboard awards this year. I’m very sad and sorry to say I won’t be allowed to do this,” she wrote. “I just wanted to make very clear that this 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. I was never going to use a picture of him, speak of him or allude to my legal situation in any way. I simply wanted to sing a song I love to honor an artist I have always looked up to. thank u all for the continued support.”
