Kesha spoke about her injury on the ‘Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky’ podcast
Kesha revealed that she once tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) while performing live on stage — yet she still finished the concert.
On Tuesday, July 8, the 38-year-old singer opened up about the injury during an episode of Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky. Having just released her new album .(PERIOD) on July 4, Kesha discussed the intense pressure she felt to keep performing despite the painful injury earlier in her career.
“I remember tearing my ACL on stage — that was brutal — like during the third song or something,” Kesha said. “I was playing a festival in Dubai, tore my ACL, but I f—ing got up, played guitar, sang, and finished the f—ing show.”
“Are you serious?” Lewinsky, 51, asked. Kesha replied, “Yes. ‘Cause I’m a bad bitch,” which made Lewinsky laugh.
Kesha added, “The next day, I woke up feeling like such a f—ing monster badass. Then I saw an article on TMZ claiming I was drunk during the show.”
Lewinsky responded, “Wow.”
Kesha clarified, “Literally, I’ve never had a drink before a show — well, once, the first time I played Lollapalooza in 2009. After that, I said, ‘Okay, I’m never doing that again. No more drinking before shows.’ Stuff like that has hurt me, and people don’t realize it.”
“I’m sorry for what you’ve been through,” Lewinsky said.
The conversation then turned to the harsh public scrutiny both women have faced. Lewinsky, known for the scandal involving former President Bill Clinton in the late 1990s, experienced severe cyberbullying in the early internet era, which led her to become an advocate for mental health.
“Would we both be sitting here if we hadn’t gone through all that? Probably not,” Kesha reflected. “It shaped who we are. You seem like a badass, and I know I am too.”
Kesha released her album .(PERIOD) on July 4 under her own label, Kesha Records, feeling more empowered than ever. “For this chapter, I wanted to capture moments where I felt free, safe, happy, playful, hot, and horny — but it all comes from a place of feeling whole,” she told PEOPLE. “Now my energy can focus on my true purpose — helping people feel seen, loved, safe, and entertained as hell. My power is back in my hands, and I’m excited.”
New episodes of Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky, distributed by Wondery, are released weekly on Tuesdays.
The expanded version of .(PERIOD) came out on July 8.
