Last year, a lot of focus was put into discussing whether the bleak overt sexism of pop music videos can have knock-on effects on viewers. But this morning, we get news that not one but two pop stars aren't just speaking out about sexism in the industry, but actual sexual assaults they allege to have happened.
Lady Gaga was asked about experiencing misogyny and sexism in the industry by The Times, to which she replied: 'I experienced a lot… I had really awful experiences with men in the studio. Made me very uncomfortable. I didn’t feel like I was being cherished for my vocal talents, but [was] seen more as someone to take advantage of.'
When asked if anyone tried to 'take advantage' of her physically, she replied: 'Yes. And I don’t have to elaborate. But I promise you that when women who are in the business that are young read this article, I hope [they understand] that you do not have to put up with that.'
READ MORE
We get that she doesn't have to talk loads about it – she never asked to be that role model, after all – but there's an implication that women always have their refusals taken seriously. What about the ones who can't necessarily refuse to 'put up' with that sort of behaviour?
One person who's definitely not putting up with her producer/manager's alleged behaviour is Ke$ha, who's suing Dr Luke, real name Lukasz Gottwald. You'll notice is his work – he produced songs like Tik Tok and We R Who We R and Katy Perry's I Kissed A Girl, as well as Jessie J's* Price Tag*, Britney Spears' 'Til The World Ends and Miley Cyrus's Wrecking Ball. We could go on for hundreds of words, but basically, he's a big name hot-shot.
In the court documents Ke$ha, 26, is suing the 41-year-old for being 'sexually, physically, verbally and emotionally' abusive, to the point that she 'nearly lost her life.'
That might be a nod to the bulimia that she was in rehab for at the beginning of the year. At the time, her mum, Pebe Sebert, told People: ''Dr. Luke had been telling her how she had to get in shape and lose weight and all this stuff. She was exercising and dieting and ultimately doing everything she could, but not getting thin fast enough. And that's when she first became bulimic.'
He was also alleged to have said she looked like a 'fridge' in a music video.
Ke$ha's attorney, Mark Geragos, gave this statement, as reported by ABC: 'This lawsuit is a wholehearted effort by Kesha to regain control of her music career and her personal freedom after suffering for 10 years as a victim of mental manipulation, emotional abuse and an instance of sexual assault at the hands of Dr. Luke.'
Dr Luke denies all the allegations, calling them 'scurrilous rumours.' He's counter-suing Ke$ha for 'wanton dishonesty' as he accuses her of using this lawsuit to escape her contract.
The sad thing is, when it comes to the industry of showbusiness, nothing's really going to shock us anymore. What is a nice change, though, is that people feel comfortable enough to talk about the abuse they've allegedly suffered.
Like this? Then you might also be interested in:
Sexism Trolls And Rape Threats: What It's Really Like To Be A Female Gamer
Chris Brown Isn't The Only One Making Stupid Jokes About Ebola
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophwilkinson
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.