Dr. Luke Scores A Win In Defamation Suit Against Kesha
Kesha (real name: Kesha Rose Sebert) and Dr. Luke (Lukasz Gottwald) have been in a legal battle for six years, and Dr. Luke just got a huge win.
Kesha has been ordered to pay $374,000 to Dr. Luke. Per E! News, “Dr. Luke was ‘defamed’ when Kesha made a false statement to Lady Gaga claiming he had raped Katy Perry.” In court documents, it states, “Perry unequivocally testified that Gottwald did not do so. 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.”
The judge also ruled against Kesha’s claim that Gottwald is a “public figure,” so he doesn’t have to prove in the trial that Kesha acted with “malice” when she accused him of rape. In the ruling, the judge says, “Gottwald certainly is not a ‘general public figure.’ Although he may be well known in music-industry circles, he has never been a household name or achieved general pervasive fame and notoriety in the community. Nor is he a limited-purpose public figure.” As Variety notes, this sets a much lower bar for the trial.
The $374,000 that Kesha has to pay is the interest she owes on royalty payments to KMI, Dr. Luke’s company. Kesha’s legal team plans on appealing this ruling.
Variety also adds that the ruling on whether Dr. Luke raped Kesha has still not be determined. “That would have to be left to a jury.”
