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Dr. Luke Has Blocked Kesha From Performing At The Billboard Music Awards

Kesha has been forced to cancel her performance at the Billboard Music Awards this coming Sunday.

The singer has been part of a long, well-publicised struggle against her contract with Sony and producer Dr Luke, a contract her former lawyer likened to “slavery”.

According to TMZ, Kesha had a performance in the works that made “direct references” to her ongoing legal proceedings with Dr Luke that “might even include images of him”.

The performance is apparently being blocked by Dr Luke’s label, Kemosabe Records – and is the latest development in the saga since Kesha’s rape and abuse counterclaims against Dr Luke were thrown out of US Supreme Court in April.

A representative for Dick Clark Productions told Mashable that Dr Luke had originally given approval for Kesha to perform, only to revoke approval after hearing of nature of the planned performance.

“Kesha accepted an invitation to perform on the show and she received written approval from Dr. Luke’s record label, Kemosabe Records,” Dick Clark Productions said in a statement. “Kemosabe subsequently rescinded its approval following a media report on Wednesday May 11 regarding Kesha’s appearance on the BBMAs. Unfortunately, Kesha and Kemosabe have since been unable to come to an agreement for Kesha to perform on the show.”

Kesha also denied that the performance had anything to do with Dr Luke. “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,” she said on Instagram. “I was never going to use a picture of him, speak of him or allude to my legal situation in any way.”

Kesha was reportedly offered freedom from her contact in return for retracting the allegations of physical and emotional abuse against Dr Luke, something that Sony deny ever happened. Sony have also repeatedly stated that she is free to record without Dr Luke, although they are unable to terminate her contract as it remains legally binding.

Update 20/05/2015: Dr Luke’s label has decided to let Kesha go ahead with the performance after all.

Listen: Kesha & Zedd – True Colours

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