Kesha and Dr. Luke Reach Settlement in Defamation Lawsuit

The long-running legal battle between pop star Kesha and producer Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald has come to a close.

According to a statement issued on Kesha’s social media Thursday (June 22), the two have “agreed to a resolution” in the defamation lawsuit against her, which was set to go to trial on July 19. Both parties provided settlement statements that were shared in the post.

“Only God knows what happened that night,” Kesha wrote in her part of the statement. “As I always said, I cannot recount everything that happened. I am looking forward to closing the door on this chapter of my life and beginning a new one. I wish nothing but peace to all parties involved.”

“While I appreciate Kesha again acknowledging that she cannot recount what happened that night in 2005. I am absolutely certain that nothing happened,” the producer shared in his statement. “I never drugged or assaulted her and would never do that to anyone. For the sake of my family, I have vigorously fought to clear my name for nearly 10 years. It is time for me to put this difficult matter behind me and move on with my life. I wish Kesha well.”

See the posts below.

The Kesha-Dr. Luke legal battle began nearly a decade ago in 2014 when the artist filed a suit against her producer, claiming sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, more specifically alleging that Dr. Luke had drugged and raped her one night in 2005.

Dr. Luke then countersued shortly after for defamation, denying all allegations from the singer. Kesha’s claims were dismissed by a judge in 2016, while the producer’s defamation suit continued until their recent abrupt settlement.

The news comes just days after Kesha was handed a significant leg-up in the case. New York Court Appeals declared in a pre-trial ruling on June 13 that Dr. Luke would be considered a “limited public figure,” something that may have made his case harder to prove.

(Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Elton John AIDS Foundation)