Kesha’s Amended Lawsuit Against Dr. Luke Has Been Rejected

Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna

Kesha’s recent attempt at amending counterclaims against her former producer Dr. Luke (Lukasz Gottwald) was rejected by New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich.

The decision comes more than two years after Kesha filed a lawsuit against Dr. Luke in October of 2014, claiming sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, civil harassment, unfair business and intentional negligent infliction of emotional distress. Her allegations include instances in which she claims Dr. Luke coerced her, drugged and raped her, extorted money and blackmailed her. According to Forbes, she has stated that his abuse led to “severe depression, post-traumatic stress, social isolation and panic attacks.”

Soon after her lawsuit, Dr. Luke filed a defamation suit of his own claiming that Kesha had “orchestrated a campaign of publishing false and shocking accusations against Gottwald to extort Plaintiffs into letting Kesha out of her record deal.”

Several months later, Kesha filed an injunction request asking for the immediate ability to end or change her Sony contract. This request was denied in February 2016, which Kesha then followed by amending her lawsuit.

According to Spin, Kesha asserted “You can dissolve a partnership if the relationship becomes irreconcilable. The same opportunity – to be liberated from the physical, emotional an financial bondage of a destructive relationship – should be available to a recording artist.” She also asserted that Dr. Lule’s company breached its contract by refusing to send account statements and pay her royalties. In response, Dr. Luke alleged that Kesha actually owed $1.3 million in royalties, to which Judge Kornreich agreed with Dr. Luke over Kesha.

“Kesha made no showing that it would have been futile to send an appropriate notice or that she was prevented from doing so,” wrote Judge Kornreich in her opinion. “Thus, Kesha may not assert that a counterclaim for breach of the Prescription Agreement.”

Read our previous stories about Kesha and Dr. Luke’s lengthy legal battles, from her dropping lawsuit against him in August 2016 to each more recently filing counter claims, Dr. Luke claiming he was owed money from Kesha, their emails being released to the public, and earlier this month, Dr. Luke moving to subpoena Kesha fan who organized several FreeKesha rallies.