A judge ruled Kesha defamed Dr. Luke and also cited a breach of contract after she texted Lady Gaga that Katy Perry was raped by Dr. Luke.
She must pay $373,671.88 in interest for breaching her agreement and failing to pay him $1.3 million royalties.
According to previously-filed legal documents, the text Kesha sent to Gaga “falsely stated that another female recording artist [Katy Perry] had been raped by Gottwald, and again repeated the baseless assertion that Kesha had been raped by Gottwald.” Luke adamantly denied the claim and asked a judge to allow him to add a defamation claim to his ongoing lawsuit against Kesha for the “malicious purpose of further damaging [Dr. Luke’s] reputation and business.”
The text that says the other recording artist was “raped by the same man” did not specifically state his name, but Luke's legal team says it's clear he's the one being referred to.
"There is no evidence whatsoever that Gottwald raped Katy Perry or that Katy Perry, whose sworn testimony is unrelated, must not be believed," the newly-filed docs say.
You can read the docs in full here.
“Today's important decision by the Court in Dr. Luke's lawsuit brings him closer to the justice that he seeks,” Dr. Luke’s attorney Christine Lepera said in a statement. “First, the Court has now ruled that Kesha made a false and defamatory accusation about Dr. Luke when she baselessly claimed that he raped Katy Perry. Second, the Court rejected Kesha's attempts to invoke legal technicalities to avoid responsibility for her statements. And third, the Court also correctly held that Kesha breached her contract with Dr. Luke's company.”
In 2018, a judge unsealed several pages of Katy Perry's testimony in the Dr. Luke x Kesha legal battle (despite the pop star formally requesting the entire document remain under lock and key).
According to the transcript, Perry denies the defamed producer having ever raped or sexually harassed her in any way, shape or form.
Lawyer: Are you aware that Kesha has made a statement that Dr. Luke raped you?
Katy: Yes
Lawyer: Did Dr. Luke ever rape you?
Katy: No.
Lawyer: Did Dr. Luke ever sexually assault you?
Katy: No.
Lawyer: Did he ever give you a roofie?
Katy: No
Lawyer: Did you have a sexual relationship with Dr. Luke at all?
Katy: No.
Lawyer: A romantic relationship?
Katy: No.
Lawyer: So Ms. Sebert's statement that Dr. Luke raped you is false?
Katy: Yes, ma'am.
Dr. Luke's legal team emailed BreatheHeavy a statement at the time, saying:
"In 2014, Kesha filed a bogus Complaint against Dr. Luke - which she has voluntarily dismissed - falsely claiming that he drugged and raped her in 2005. Now, after four years of litigation, it is Dr. Luke's defamation claim that remains. Evidence is now publicly available to show that Kesha's Complaint was filed pursuant to a "Press Plan" and PR media blitz, designed to create the maximum negative public pressure on Dr. Luke in order to get him to give in to her contract demands.
Having done all of the damage publicizing her false claim of rape for years, Kesha now has asked Dr. Luke to not speak publicly about the evidence just being revealed... even though this is the first time Dr. Luke has the opportunity to do so with some of the actual facts. Ironic, indeed."
Kesha recently released her new album, High Road.
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