Kesha Opens Up About Body Shaming, Claims She 'Almost Killed' Herself

By
This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.

If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page.

Kesha is breaking her silence about the personal struggles she's had to endure as a recording artist. In a recent interview with New York Times Magazine, the 29-year-old singer claims she was body shamed by Dr. Luke (Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald), her former producer and mentor.

"I was under immense pressure to starve myself," she told the magazine. "And I tried to and almost killed myself in the process."

RELATED: Dr. Luke's Lawyer Responds to Kesha's Body Shaming Claims: 'She Continues to Maliciously Level False Accusations'

In 2010, Kesha's first album, Animal, was released to the public, and shortly after, she went on tour, amassing an army of fans. It was around that time that the singer recalls a sudden shift in Dr. Luke's behavior. She claims that he began criticizing her weight in public and once called her a "fat [expletive] refrigerator."

Dr. Luke and his legal team have denied the allegations and subsequently counter-sued the singer and her mother for defamation. In April, New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich dismissed a number of counterclaims that Kesha's lawyers filed on March 21, which accused Dr. Luke of employment-based gender discrimination, gender-related hate crimes, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The "Tik Tok" singer claims that the alleged body shaming and stress of the industry led her to an eating disorder. In 2014, she entered into a treatment center that specializes in eating disorders.

"Someone I work with has literally driven me into this disease, tortured me and [expletive] with me and my family," she wrote on social media, while still in treatment. "So I'm here taking time and getting my magic back dammit."

After treatment, Kesha explains she felt as though she was "taking back my strength, and I was taking back my voice, and taking back my power, taking back my body. I'm just taking back my [expletive] life."

"As you grow up and you grow awareness, some say ignorance is bliss, and in some ways, it is, but once you realize and you gain knowledge, it’s there, and you can't deny it," she continued. "And now I’m very much aware of things that I wasn’t before, and it keeps me more accountable for my actions."


RELATED: Kesha Thanks Fans for Support Amid Dr. Luke Lawsuit During Concert

Kesha's legal drama with Dr. Luke stems back to October 2014, when the singer accused the producer of drugging and raping her, as well as abusing her over the course of 10 years. In August, Kesha dropped her lawsuit against Dr. Luke in California in an effort to focus on creating new music, according to her legal counsel. However, she is maintaining her lawsuit against Dr. Luke in New York.

For more on the ongoing litigation between the recording artist and her former record producer, watch the video below.