A Judge Says that Kesha's Comments to Lady Gaga About Dr. Luke Were Defamatory
On Thursday, New York State Supreme Court Judge Jennifer G. Schecter made a ruling in the long-running case of singer Kesha against Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald. Per Pitchfork, court documents state that Kesha "made a false statement to Lady Gaga about Gottwald and that was defamatory."
The comments that the judge referred to as "defamatory" were made in a text exchange between Kesha and Lady Gaga in 2016. The texts reportedly stated that Kesha and Katy Perry had been "raped by the same man."
Schecter also ordered Kesha to pay $373,671.88 in royalties that she still owes Gottwald. "We disagree with the Court's rulings. We plan to immediately appeal," Kesha's legal team told BBC News.
In her 2014 lawsuit against Gottwald, Kesha said he "sexually, physically, verbally and emotionally abused" her and that he "put her life at risk." The lawsuit soon inspired the hashtag, "#FreeKesha," which was trending again after the New York decision this week.
In February 2016, a New York judge denied Kesha's preliminary injunction to be released from her recording contract with Gottwald at Kemosabe Records. In the summer of 2017, Kesha released her long-awaited album Rainbow, which contained the song "Praying," a clear reference to Gottwald.
Among a string of other setbacks, in April 2016, a New York judge ruled that Gottwald did not commit a hate crime, as Kesha accused him.
"Although [Luke's] alleged actions were directed to Kesha, who is female, [her claims] do not allege that [Luke] harbored animus toward women or was motivated by gender animus when he allegedly behaved violently toward Kesha," the judge said then. "Every rape is not a gender-motivated hate crime."
Christine Lepera, Gottwald's attorney, said that the producer will continue in his lawsuit against Kesha.
"Kesha abandoned her meritless case against Dr. Luke more than three years ago," Lepera said in a statement to CBS News. "The only remaining lawsuit is Dr. Luke's case against Kesha for defamation and breach of contract. Dr. Luke is pursuing this lawsuit to seek recovery for the serious harm Kesha's false accusations of rape have caused Dr. Luke, his family and his business."
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