In a surprising turn of events, singer Kesha and music producer Dr. Luke have reached a settlement in their long-standing defamation lawsuit just a month before the case was scheduled to go to trial, Your Content has learned.
The resolution was announced through a joint statement posted on Kesha’s Instagram account.
Expressing her feelings about the outcome, Kesha wrote, “Only God knows what happened that night. As I have always said, I cannot recount everything that happened. I am looking forward to closing the door on this chapter of my life and beginning a new one. I wish nothing but peace to all parties involved.”
In response, Dr. Luke issued his own statement, saying, “While I appreciate Kesha acknowledging that she cannot recall what happened that night in 2005, I am absolutely certain that nothing happened. I never drugged or assaulted her and would never do that to anyone. For the sake of my family, I have vigorously fought to clear my name for nearly 10 years. It is time for me to put this difficult matter behind me and move on with my life. I wish Kesha well.”
This development follows a recent ruling by the New York Court of Appeals, which determined that Dr. Luke, also known as Lukasz Gottwald, was considered a “limited public figure” in the case.
Previously, a lower appeals court had categorized him as a private figure, thereby imposing a lower burden of proof.
The new ruling would have made it more challenging for Dr. Luke to prove his case, as it required him to demonstrate that Kesha acted with actual malice.
The legal battle between the two started almost a decade ago when Kesha accused the producer of sexual assault.
In 2014, Dr. Luke countersued for defamation, alleging that Kesha falsely accused him of rape nearly two decades prior.
Last week’s court ruling also highlighted the judge’s decision to allow Kesha to file counterclaims against Dr. Luke for emotional distress, punitive damages, and legal fees.
Throughout the years, Kesha has claimed that Dr. Luke’s abusive behavior led to her developing an eating disorder.
She accused him of drugging and raping her in 2005 and publicly accused him of raping singer Katy Perry in 2016.
However, Perry denied the allegations in a deposition. In 2020, a New York state judge ruled against Kesha, stating that she had defamed her former producer, and an appeals court upheld that decision in 2021.
Furthermore, the judge ordered Kesha to pay Dr. Luke $373,000 in interest for late payment of over $1.3 million in royalties.
With the settlement reached, both parties can now put this highly publicized and contentious legal battle behind them and move forward with their lives.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed in the joint statement, leaving the details of the agreement private, according to DailyMail.