Katy Perry recently found herself embroiled in the at-times confusing legal mess between pop singer Kesha and her one-time producer Dr. Luke. As a result, Perry and her lawyers found themselves in a hurry to file a motion requesting a deposition of hers relating to the case be sealed. The motion was requested through the Manhattan Supreme Court after learning that the document may be released today (August 21). According to Vulture, the judge will rule on the matter on August 27.
The root of the drama is between Dr. Luke (legal name Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald) and Kesha (legal name Kesha Rose Sebert). In the ’00s Dr. Luke served as the singer’s producer, signing her to his Sony affiliate Kemosabe, cultivating her image and sound as she became a huge radio star with songs like “Tik Tok.” In 2014, Kesha sued the producer for a litany of offenses, including alleged sexual assault and battery. Dr. Luke countersued Kesha and also sued her mother. Kesha was unable to leave her contract with Sony. The label said they made it possible for her to finish out her contract without contact with Dr. Luke, but couldn’t terminate that contract.
At this point is when the first step towards Katy Perry’s involvement in the imbroglio occurs — Lady Gaga gave an interview implying she was abused by a famous producer, but never named names, until her attorney implied on Twitter that the perpetrator was Dr. Luke. The producer then sued Lady Gaga’s lawyer. Perry was subpoenaed after it was revealed in Gaga’s deposition that she’d sent a text message to Kesha indicating that Katy Perry had accused Dr. Luke of rape. Following this discovery, Perry was subpoened and gave a deposition, which is the basis for the motion being filed.
At the core of Perry’s legal team’s reasoning is that such testimony is merely tangential to the investigation and could be damaging to the career and public persona of the pop singer. They also claim that she’s “vulnerable to ‘gossip column’ frenzy,” further reason to seal the testimony.
Appeals were filed, cases were thrown out or rejected, other cases were dropped, more counter-suits were filed. At the end of the day, Kesha maintains that Dr. Luke had abused her throughout their relationship with the producer deniying all accusations.
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