Kesha axes concert due to 'personal reasons'

Kesha has axed an upcoming concert at a university in Illinois, citing "personal reasons" for the cancellation.

The Tik Tok singer was slated to perform at Loyola University in Chicago on Friday (26Feb16), exactly one week after she lost her bid to get out of her Sony contract. Kesha claimed label bosses have stalled her career by refusing to allow her to work with any producer but hitmaker Dr. Luke, who she has accused of drugging and sexually and emotionally abusing her.

And while she deals with the aftermath of the decision, Kesha chose to cancel the Chicago gig, according to a statement from officials at Loyola's Department of Programming release on Wednesday (24Feb16).

It reads: "Kesha has expressed her disappointment in having to cancel, but she feels that this is the best decision for her at this time. We respect her decision and wish her well."

Hours before the Loyola concert was cancelled, Kesha posted a statement thanking all her supporters on Facebook, writing, "This case has never been about a renegotiation of my record contract - it was never about getting a bigger, or a better deal," she wrote. "This is about being free from my abuser. All I ever wanted was to be able to make music without being afraid, scared, or abused.

"I think about young girls today - I don't want my future daughter - or your daughter - or any person to be afraid that they will be punished if they speak out about being abused, especially if their abuser is in a position of power," she added.

Stars such as Adele, Reese Witherspoon, Anne Hathaway, Lady Gaga, Lena Dunham, and Demi Lovato have all voiced their support for Kesha, while Taylor Swift donated $250,000 to cover her legal costs, and musicians Jack Antonoff and Zedd have offered to help produce new music.