Did Ke$ha put pressure on herself to be thin for the cameras, or was she shamed into it by her outside advisors?

That's the question that has emerged in the wake of the singer's decision to go public with her [article id="1719874"]eating disorder[/article] battle and her mother's recent statements suggesting that Ke$ha was bullied into a dangerous cycle of anorexia and bulimia.

"Dr. Luke had been telling her how she had to get in shape and lose weight and all this stuff. She was exercising and dieting and ultimately doing everything she could, but not getting thin fast enough," mom Pebe Sebert told People magazine about the singer's longtime producer Lukasz Gottwald. "And that's when she first became bulimic."

The singer recently shared with fans that she would be seeking help at the Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center near Chicago for 30 days after revealing that she's struggling with an eating disorder. Experts told MTV News that the [article id="1720102"]in-patient treatment[/article] is a great first step to deal with a disorder that strikes a number of women in the spotlight who feel pressure to be thin.

"Dr. Luke told a friend of ours he thought she looked like a refrigerator on her latest video, and could she please try to control her weight," Sebert claimed. "After she went on a 14-day juice cleanse, he said, 'Thank God you finally got rid of the weight! We've all been talking about it!' So she felt like she couldn't trust anyone."

The famed producer, however, denied the allegations though a statement from his spokesperson. "These statements and allegations concerning Dr. Luke are completely false," read the statement. "It is unfortunate that at a time Ke$ha is suffering immensely and trying to heal at a treatment center, her mother is taking this approach with the media. I give Ke$ha my utmost support and well wishes for a quick return to health."

Sebert said the tipping point for her daughter came just before the holidays, when Ke$ha couldn't stand the pressure anymore. "Right before Christmas she had a breakdown," Sebert said. "And called me from the gas station after she'd thrown up everything, and admitted how much she'd been doing it."