After several passionate tweets about taking action for women’s rights in light of Kesha’s trial against Sony, Demi Lovato has posted a lengthy statement on her Instagram that clarified her tweets, which were taken as an attack on Taylor Swift, as well as speaking out on behalf of rape victims who may fear coming forward.
“As most people know, I tend to get fired up about the things I believe in,” Lovato wrote next to a graphic from The Enliven Project that details the percentage of rapists who are reported, put to trial, jailed and falsely accused compared to the number who go unreported. “Although my heart and intentions are always in the right place, unfortunately sometimes my passion gets the best of me and causes me to say things that I probably shouldn’t say.”
Lovato asserted that “the focus should be on the topic of victims of sexual and physical abuse being afraid to come forward with their stories.” While not referencing the accusations that she had been directing her critical tweets at Swift, Lovato noted the real aim of her harsh words on speaking up for people like Kesha. “All I want to see is women coming together and actually making a difference.”
Prior to her Instagram post, Lovato had been an early public supporter of Kesha’s battle against Sony and Dr. Luke, which came to a head on Friday when the pop star was denied an injunction to break her contract with the producer she accused of rape and emotional abuse. Lovato began tweeting how women were not taken as seriously as men before taking aim at “self-proclaimed feminists” and requesting them “to start speaking out or taking action for women’s rights.”
On Sunday, Swift’s rep announced that the singer had donated $250,000 to Kesha and her fight against Sony, which was soon followed by a tweet from Lovato stating, “Take something to Capitol Hill or actually speak out about something and then I’ll be impressed.” Given the timing of her tweets, many assumed Lovato had been calling out Swift, though she had never stated her by name.
Dr. Luke has denied all charges against him. “The goal of Kesha’s counsel throughout has been to obtain a more lucrative contract through a shameless campaign of outrageous claims they will never stand behind in a court of law,” his lawyer said in a statement. On Monday night, Luke asserted his innocence in a series of tweets. “I didn’t rape Kesha and I have never had sex with her,” he wrote. “Kesha and I were friends for many years and she was like my little sister. Kesha has denied under oath the horrible allegations now being made against me.”
– Rolling Stone
