Taylor Needs To Make Room In Her Squad For Kesha

On Friday, a New York judge ruled that Kesha cannot break her Sony recording contract, despite the fact that the singer has sued producer Dr. Luke with allegations that he drugged and raped her (Dr. Luke has denied the claims and sued Kesha for defamation.) So far, people all over the world have been showing their support for Kesha, celebrities included. And on Sunday night, Kesha got some help from one of her fellow artists in a big way. Taylor Swift donated $250,000 to Kesha, an amount of money that Swift's rep says is intended to help with any "financial needs" the singer might have during this time. It's obviously a huge show of support from Swift, but where did that generosity come from? Was it simply one woman helping out another in need, or are Kesha and Taylor Swift friends?

In case you're wondering that too, here's the answer: As big as Swift's squad is getting, it doesn't seem that Kesha is in it — at least, as far as the information the singers have made public goes, anyway. There's no evidence that they've ever been friends, but there is evidence that they've met... and it definitely seems that they think fondly of each other. Need proof? Check out this seemingly random moment from the 2011 Billboard Awards when Swift stopped to hug Kesha on her way up to the stage to accept an award.

It's a pretty cute moment — and a major throwback to the days when Kesha didn't go anywhere without tons of glitter on her face. That hug definitely makes me think that there's some kind of friendship history there, even if it isn't something either of them has talked about. Either way, Swift obviously felt compelled enough by Kesha's legal battle that she wanted to offer up some help, which was no small gesture. And from the tweets issued by Kesha's mom, it seems like she and her family really appreciate it:

And being that Swift and Kesha are both strong women who are passionate about what they do, I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up becoming friends after this. Swift isn't a bad person to have on your side. Maybe a duet or collaboration is in their future. It would be epic.

Update: Dr. Luke's lawyer released a new statement on Monday, Feb. 22, which can be read in part below:

The New York County Supreme Court on Friday found that Kesha is already "free" to record and release music without working with Dr. Luke as a producer if she doesn’t want to. Any claim that she isn’t "free" is a myth.