Kesha ‘defamed’ producer Dr. Luke by claiming he raped Katy Perry, judge rules- and must pay him $375K
KESHA "defamed" music producer Dr. Luke by claiming he raped Katy Perry, a judge has ruled.
The , 32, has also been ordered to pay Luke $373,671.88 in interest after she made a late $1.3 million contractual payment in August 2017.
The ruling was a major blow for Kesha, who has been fighting her former producer for more than five years in court.
In 2014, she accused Luke of raping, drugging and emotionally abusing her to the point it nearly cost her her life, prompting the producer to file a defamation lawsuit.
Two years later she sent a text message to her friend claiming Luke, real name Lukasz Gottwald, had raped .
Luke claimed Kesha fabricated all sexual abuse claims to free her from their recording contract, which she was ordered to respect in 2016 after unsuccessfully fighting to be released from it.
While Kesha doesn't dispute the amount of money she's been ordered to pay Luke, her team told she will file an immediate appeal against the defamation ruling.
A spokesman for Kesha said: "We disagree with the court’s rulings. We plan to immediately appeal.”
The judge dismissed claims from Kesha's legal team that Luke was a public figure at the time she sent the text to Gaga.
As a result, he did not need to prove Kesha was acting with malice, only that he had been caused harm by the allegation.
Casting her judgement, New York Supreme Court Judge Jennifer G. Schechter said: “Though Gottwald has sought publicity for his label, his music, and his artists — none of which are the subject of the defamation here — he never injected himself into the public debate about sexual assault or abuse of artists in the entertainment industry.
“The only reason Gottwald has any public connection to the issues raised in this lawsuit is because they were raised in this lawsuit. That cannot convert him into a limited public figure.”
Katy Perry denied Dr. Luke raped her in a court deposition, and Judge Schechter highlighted that there is no reason the Roar singer's testimony should not be believed.
She told the court: “Perry unequivocally testified that Gottwald did not [rape her]. In response, Kesha has not raised a triable issue.
"There is no evidence whatsoever that Gottwald raped Katy Perry, or that Katy Perry, whose sworn testimony is unrefuted, must not be believed.”
Meanwhile, a representative for Luke told how her client was looking to further clear his name in an upcoming trial.
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She said: “Kesha abandoned her meritless case against Dr. Luke more than three years ago.
"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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