Kesha and Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald, have settled their defamation lawsuit outside of court. The lawsuit, which began in 2014, saw Kesha alleging that she had been drugged and sexually assaulted by Dr. Luke back in 2005. The case was set to go to trial this July, but the parties have reached a resolution ahead of the trial.
In a joint statement, the parties announced that they have agreed to settle the lawsuit and would be issuing a joint statement regarding the resolution. Kesha expressed her relief at closing this chapter of her life and wished peace to all parties involved. Dr. Luke, on the other hand, reiterated his innocence and stated that he had never drugged or assaulted Kesha.
The Background of the Lawsuit
The lawsuit began when Kesha filed a civil lawsuit against Dr. Luke, seeking to be released from her recording contract with him. She alleged that Dr. Luke had sexually, physically, verbally, and emotionally abused her during their time working together. Kesha specifically cited a 2005 incident where Dr. Luke had drugged and sexually assaulted her after a party.
Dr. Luke, who has produced hits for many popular artists, including Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne, and Katy Perry, denied the allegations. No criminal charges were ever filed in the case, and the lawsuit has been ongoing for over a decade.
The New York Court of Appeals recently ruled that Dr. Luke qualifies as a “public figure,” which gave his legal team a higher bar to clear. They needed to prove that Kesha made her statements with the intent of “actual malice.”
As a result of the lawsuit, Sony Music and RCA distanced themselves from Dr. Luke’s record label, Kemosabe Records, to which Kesha was signed. However, he continued producing music under several pseudonyms, including Tyson Trax, and has recently created hits for the likes of Doja Cat and Kim Petras.
Kesha took an extended break from the public eye due to the rigors of the lawsuit, and the #FreeKesha campaign gained support from many popular artists, including Kelly, Katy, Adele, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift. She returned to the music scene in 2017 with the song ‘Praying’ and has since consistently released new material, with her latest album being May’s Gag Order.
After years of delays, Kesha and Dr. Luke have settled their long-running defamation lawsuit outside of court. The lawsuit began in 2014 when Kesha alleged that Dr. Luke had sexually assaulted her in 2005. The parties have reached a resolution ahead of the trial, and while Kesha expressed relief at closing this chapter of her life, Dr. Luke reiterated his innocence.