Kesha scales back legal battle against Dr. Luke
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, August 2, 2016
By Elahe Izadi
The Washington Post
Pop singer Kesha, locked in a high-profile legal battle with Dr. Luke, dropped her California sexual assault lawsuit against the producer as she focuses on restarting her music career, her attorney said Tuesday.
But Kesha, who has alleged Dr. Luke (born Lukasz Gottwald) drugged, raped and emotionally abused her, will still pursue an appeal and other claims in New York courts, said attorney Daniel Petrocelli.
“Kesha is focused on getting back to work and has delivered 28 new songs to the record label,” Petrocelli said in a statement. “We have conveyed to Sony and the label Kesha’s strong desire to release her next album and single as soon as possible.”
A lawyer for Dr. Luke said Kesha is voluntarily dismissing her California lawsuit “because she has no chance of winning.”
“Kesha never should have brought her false and meritless claims against Dr. Luke in any court,” said attorney Christine Lepera, the Associated Press reported.
The singer’s music career has remained in limbo for years and she hasn’t released an album since 2012. In 2014, she sued Dr. Luke, alleging sexual and emotional abuse and seeking to be released from a contract with Dr. Luke’s Sony-owned label, Kemosabe, requiring her to record with the producer.
A slew of celebrities, fans and feminists have rushed to support Kesha, under the hashtag #FreeKesha.
“My fight continues. I need to get my music out,” Kesha wrote on Facebook on Monday. “I have so much to say. This lawsuit is so heavy on my once free spirit, and I can only pray to one day feel that happiness again.”
She performed at the Billboard Music Awards in May, but only after Dr. Luke’s label received assurances that she wouldn’t use the stage to address the ligation.
No criminal charges have been filed against Dr. Luke, who has denied the allegations against him. He has sued Kesha for defamation.
This spring, a New York judge dismissed most of of Kesha’s claims, ruling that the alleged incidents happened beyond the statute of limitations and outside of the court’s jurisdiction, in another state. She’ll appeal that ruling plus one that prevents her from breaking her contract with Dr. Luke’s label, according to AP.
On Monday, Kesha wrote on Facebook: “I am continuing to fight for my rights in New York. Thank you for all your support. The support of my fans has been so beautiful and I’m so grateful for it. I’m Not sure where I would be without you all.”
