Kesha & Dr. Luke Settle Defamation Lawsuit After Decade-Long Legal Dispute

Kesha and her former producer Dr. Luke (Lukasz Gottwald) have reached a settlement after almost a decade. This comes less than a month before the case was scheduled to go to trial.

The agreement marks the end of a legal dispute that began in October 2014 after Kesha alleged that Dr. Luke drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2005. Dr. Luke asserted the claim was false and sued Kesha for defamation and breaking her contract when she said she wanted to leave Dr. Luke’s label, Kemosabe Records.

On Thursday, Kesha shared the legal statements from both sides regarding the resolution. 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 his statement, Dr. Luke said that he never drugged or assaulted Kesha and that he had been fighting to clear his name “for the sake of my family.”

For nearly a decade, the pair were locked in litigation that received intense media scrutiny. Dr. Luke’s defamation case was set to take place in July and determine whether the music producer would be regarded as a public figure legally. If so, the requirements for winning a defamation claim would be higher.

Earlier this month, the New York Court of Appeals ruled that Dr. Luke would be considered a public figure, forcing him to prove that Kesha was aware that she was making false accusations.