Mother Pebe Sebert also blames her daughter's eating disorder on her producer Dr. Luke and former manager David Sonenberg.
- Jan 21, 2014
AceShowbiz - Earlier this month, Ke$ha made headlines after checking herself into rehab to treat her eating disorder. Now, mother Pebe Sebert has opened up about her daughter's struggle with anorexia and bulimia, saying that the pop star "almost died" because of weight bullying.
"I've watched my beautiful, self-confident, brilliant daughter be berated and ridiculed for her looks and weight to the point that she almost died," Sebert says of the "Timber" singer in a new interview with People.
"The doctors told me her blood pressure and sodium levels were so low, they'd never seen it that low except with someone who'd had a heart attack or stroke. They said it was a miracle she hadn't already dropped dead on stage," she adds.
Sebert reveals that Ke$ha's producer Dr. Luke and former manager David Sonenberg are partially responsible for the star's eating disorder, continuing, "One time on a conference call, Sonenberg was screaming, 'You need to lose weight! I don't care what you do ... take drugs, not eat, stick your finger down your throat!' Ke$ha was just weeping. She drove around afterward thinking about killing herself."
As for Dr. Luke, Sebert says that "he has just always been very disrespectful about [Ke$ha's] weight." She explains, "He'd say it in certain ways, like 'Why don't you try running?' She was doing everything and not getting thin fast enough, and that's when she first became bulimic."
However, both Dr. Luke and Sonenberg have denied the allegation that they played role in Ke$ha's stuggle. "It is unfortunate that at a time Ke$ha is suffering immensely and trying to heal at a treatment center, her mother is taking this approach with the media," Dr. Luke says in a statement. "I give Ke$ha my utmost support and well wishes for a quick return to health."
Ke$ha is currently being treated at the female-only facility Timberline Knolls, outside of Chicago. Sebert, who eventually joined her daughter at the same rehab facility to deal with stress from the family's crisis, says Ke$ha is now focusing on being healthy again.
"At this point, she doesn't care if she ever makes a record again. She just wants to be healthy and happy," Sebert says.
