Lena Dunham Defends Kesha By Calling Out The American Justice System

When the news broke Friday that Kesha lost her legal battle against her producer and alleged abuser, Dr. Luke, many were upset and infuriated. Lena Dunham counted herself as one of the frustrated, saying she was "sickened" by the verdict.

On Tuesday, Dunham expanded on her sentiment by sharing an Instagram post with her 2.4 million followers. Accompanying a beautiful illustration by Stefania Tejada, she wrote,

I stand with my beautiful friend Kesha. This is bigger than all of us... My love is with her, and with every woman who has been hurt by the legal system's disregard for women's safety.

She also added that her full statement is available on her website, Lenny Letter. In an emotionally-charged essay titled, “Why Kesha's Case Is About More Than Kesha," she wrote,

When I saw the outcome of Kesha's court case last Friday, I felt sick. Actually sick — I wanted to ask my Uber to pull over so I could throw up in a New York City trash can.

To help readers better understand the ramifications of the judge's verdict and Kesha's current situation, Dunham spelled it out with this apt metaphor,

Imagine someone really hurt you, physically and emotionally. Scared you and abused you, threatened your family. The judge says that you don't have to see them again, BUT they still own your house. So they can decide when to turn the heat on and off, whether they'll pay the telephone bill or fix the roof when it leaks. After everything you've been through, do you feel safe living in that house? Do you trust them to protect you?

Dunham went on to argue the title of her essay, that this case affects more than just Kesha's wellbeing or livelihood. She underscored that fact, writing,

What's happening to Kesha highlights the way that the American legal system continues to hurt women by failing to protect them from the men they identify as their abusers. For example: 19 states in America still allow rapists to assert parental rights over children conceived through rape, yoking women (and their children) to their attackers for a lifetime, an unimaginable cycle of revictimization. But it's real.

If we can learn anything from Kesha's legal battle and, in turn, Lena Dunham's essay, it's that now is not the time to be silent.

Citations: LENA DUNHAM PERFECTLY EXPLAINS WHY KESHA MATTERS NOW MORE THAN EVER (MTV)