Kesha and Dr. Luke settle defamation lawsuit after nine years

Kesha and Dr. Luke have settled their defamation lawsuit out of court.

The Tik Tok singer and her former producer issued joint statements on Instagram on Thursday announcing that they had settled their defamation lawsuit, which was due to go to trial next month.

“Only God knows what happened that night, as I have always said,” Kesha’s part of the statement read. “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.”

Kesha sued Dr. Luke in 2014, claiming in Los Angeles and New York courts that the producer had drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2005. She also alleged that she had endured a decade of physical and verbal abuse.

In response, Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, filed for defamation. He claimed that Kesha fabricated her allegations to get out of her recording contract.

“While I appreciate Kesha again acknowledging she cannot recount what happened that night in 2005, I am absolutely certain that nothing happened,” Gottwald’s part of the statement read. “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.”

In 2016, Kesha’s New York lawsuit was dismissed over jurisdiction and statute-of-limitation issues. Months later, the singer’s attorney told Rolling Stone that the Los Angeles suit had been dropped so Kesha could re-focus on her music.

Gottwald won his defamation case in 2020, but the New York Court of Appeals ruled in Kesha’s favour earlier this month and allowed her to appeal and file a counterclaim.