Kesha and Music Producer Dr Luke settle long running law suit

Pop singer Kesha and music producer Dr Luke have reached an agreement to settle a years-long defamation lawsuit. In an identical statement they each shared on Instagram, the two said they “agreed to a resolution” of the case. Lukasz Gottwald, better known as Dr Luke, sued Kesha in 2014, saying she had fabricated rape claims against him to get out of a recording contract. Kesha, full name Kesha Rose Sebert, rose to fame with Dr Luke-produced hits Tik Tok and We R Who We R. She sued him in 2014, seeking to void their contract because, her lawyers claimed, he had “sexually, physically, verbally, and emotionally abused [Kesha] to the point where [she] nearly lost her life”. The allegations of abuse included two instances in which Kesha claimed Gottwald had drugged and raped her. A trial was due to begin on 19 July. The out of court settlement comes days after a New York appeals court ruled Dr Luke to be a public figure, raising the burden of proof for the producer to successfully prove he had been defamed. The terms of their deal have not been publicly released.