Kesha Had A "Horrifying" Experience Freezing Her Eggs: "I Almost Died"

Singer-songwriter Kesha Rose Sebert, who is known by the moniker Kesha, made her debut in 2009 with her hit single "Tik Tok," Kesha quickly ascended the ladder of pop stardom. Her first album, Animal, topped charts worldwide, confirming her status as an influential pop figure. Her style, unapologetically brash and exuberant, resonated with fans across the globe. However, beneath the glittering surface of her fame, Kesha grappled with deep-seated issues. The most significant setback in Kesha's career came in 2014 when she sued her long-time producer, Dr. Luke, accusing him of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. The lawsuit turned into a high-profile legal battle, with Kesha seeking to break ties with Dr. Luke and his Kemosabe Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music.

The case, fraught with complexities, attracted immense media attention and spurred the hashtag movement #FreeKesha, supported by fans and celebrities alike. Despite the immense support, the court initially denied Kesha's request for a preliminary injunction in 2016, which would have allowed her to record outside of her contract with Dr. Luke. The lawsuit greatly impacted Kesha's career, silencing her musically for nearly five years. Emerging from the controversy in 2017, Kesha released her third studio album, Rainbow. The album, much like its creator, was a testament to survival and resilience, with its lead single "Praying" touching upon her experiences with trauma. In the latest cover story for Self, Kesha opens up about what life has been like for her recently.

Kesha "Almost Died" from Freezing Her Eggs

Kesha, 36, said Dr. Luke "cruelly and incessantly criticized" her weight and appearance, claiming that people wouldn't work with her unless she lost weight. Since working with him, she has gone into rehab for bulimia and turned her life around in an attempt to work through the alleged abuse she faced. Last year, she learned she has common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), an immune system disorder that causes you to have low levels of proteins needed to fight infections. People with CVID have repeated infections in their ears, sinuses, and respiratory system. It's a lifelong condition that affects 1 in 25,000-50,000 people around the world.

She also opened up about her ordeal following an egg freezing procedure, a personal decision she took in pursuit of her reproductive health. It all started after a performance in the Bahamas in January, when Kesha felt debilitatingly weak, a symptom that should have been a mere flicker of fatigue but instead turned out to be the onset of a severe health crisis. This weakness was the prelude to a nine-day stay in a Miami hospital, the result of an uncommon, serious complication developed from the fertility procedure she had undergone.

"I almost died in January," she said. The complication likely arose from her weaker immune system, and she finally recovered, but "it took a couple months." It was a very difficult time for her, especially because she really wanted a child. "It was horrifying," she admitted.

Kesha stressed the importance of taking her reproductive health into her own hands. She stands by her decision, despite the unforeseen repercussions. "I just was taking my reproductive health into my own hands,” she noted, acknowledging the dichotomy of sharing her ordeal while opening herself up to public opinion.

Kesha's ordeal also had an impact on her personal life. During her recovery, she managed to scare her current boyfriend, who she did not name, by breaking out into head-to-toe hives. The incident followed an ill-advised skincare experiment involving castor oil, a memory she recalls with a sense of humor.

Despite the hardships, Kesha has maintained her signature open-hearted, spirited personality. She once revealed a secret engagement in a conversation with Rolling Stone, a relationship that ultimately didn't work out. Kesha has been romantically linked to writer Brad Ashenfelter and drummer Alex Carapetis in the past.

Kesha also took the opportunity to delve into her sexuality, clarifying that she doesn't define herself as gay or straight but is open to all. She shared her struggle of growing up not completely straight and searching for her community through numerous churches. She revealed her journey to find her "own version of God in the past three years."

In the realm of reproductive health, egg freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation, has emerged as a viable option for women seeking to preserve their fertility for future use. As with any medical procedure, it's essential to understand the potential complications that can arise from egg freezing and their likelihood.

Egg freezing begins with hormone injections to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. This process, known as ovarian stimulation, can sometimes lead to a condition called Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). Symptoms range from mild abdominal pain and bloating to severe complications such as rapid weight gain, shortness of breath, or even blood clots. Severe OHSS is rare, occurring in less than 1% of cycles.

The next stage involves the retrieval of eggs via a minor surgical procedure. Risks associated with this procedure include infection, bleeding, and injury to nearby structures such as bowel and bladder, although these complications are extremely rare. In the long term, some studies have raised concerns about a potential increase in the risk of certain types of cancer from the fertility drugs used for ovarian stimulation.

After the procedure, the eggs are frozen and stored until the woman decides to use them. Unfortunately, not all eggs survive the freezing and thawing process, and not every thawed egg will successfully be fertilized or develop into a healthy embryo. Thus, the effectiveness of the procedure can vary and is not guaranteed.

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