Kesha, Dr. Luke settle defamation lawsuit over rape accusation: “Only God knows what happened that night”

Kesha and Dr. Luke have settled their defamation lawsuit, the singer and music producer announced in a joint statement. 

The settlement brings an end to the nearly decade-long legal battle over Kesha’s accusation that Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, drugged and raped her in 2005. Dr. Luke has maintained that he never sexually assaulted her and claimed the singer defamed him. 

“Only God knows what happened that night,” Kesha said in her statement posted on Instagram. “As I have always said, I cannot recount everything that happened. I am looking forward to closing the door on this chapter in my life and beginning a new one.”

“I wish nothing but peace to all parties involved,” she added.

In his statement, Dr. Luke reiterated that “nothing happened” and said that he settled for the sake of his family. 

“While I appreciate Kesha again acknowledging that she cannot recount what happened that night in 2005, I am absolutely certain nothing happened,” Dr. Luke said 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,” he added.

Kesha sued Dr. Luke in 2014, alleging he drugged and raped her nine years earlier and psychologically tormented her throughout their working relationship. She said he harangued her about her weight, denigrated her voice, and abused his power to control her career.

Dr. Luke, who has not been charged with any crimes, responded by suing Kesha. He has asserted that she made “completely untrue and deeply hurtful” claims to tarnish him and get out of her record contract.

But she countersued Dr. Luke under a New York law against bringing frivolous suits to try to intimidate critics into silence; New York’s highest court recently ruled that she could pursue those claims.

The top court, which New York calls the Court of Appeals, also declared that Dr. Luke is a “public figure” in the eyes of the law. That’s significant because the legal requirements for proving defamation are tougher for public figures than for everyday people.

Lower courts had said the producer wasn’t a public figure. Over a dozen media outlets and organizations got involved in the case to argue that those earlier rulings could end up helping famous people squash free speech and reporting on sexual abuse allegations.

Earlier in the case, Kesha was ordered to pay Dr. Luke more than $373,000 in interest on royalties she paid him years late.