Kesha accuses Dr Luke of delaying his defamation case against her
The singer has said she’s ‘more than eager’ to face the trial as soon as possible
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Your support makes all the difference.Pop singer Kesha has accused Dr Luke of slowing down the court proceedings on his defamation case against her.
Lukasz Gottwald, aka Dr Luke, is an Amercian record producer who signed a six-album record deal with Kesha when she was 18.
In October 2014, Dr Luke filed a lawsuit against Kesha in New York, accusing the singer of defamation while trying to win a better recording deal.
Kesha also filed a case against the producer on the same day in LA, which alleged that Dr Luke sexually abused her over a 10-year period. However, when Kesha attempted to move her case to New York, her claims were dismissed due to how much time had passed.
In a letter from Kesha’s lawyer Leah Godesky to Court Judge Jennifer G Schecter in Manhattan Supreme Court, it is alleged that Dr Luke is delaying the case by rejecting Kesha’s attempts to speed up her pre-trial appeals.
Godesky writes that the trial cannot go ahead until the appeals are resolved – Kesha had been hoping this would happen by October or November.
“Kesha has an overwhelming interest in having the trial proceed as scheduled on February 20, 2023, not only so that she can seek vindication but also so that she can get this ordeal behind her and move on with her life,” the letter, obtained by Rolling Stone reads.
“Kesha has accordingly done everything in her power to try to ensure that trial will begin as scheduled, including by seeking to expedite proceedings in the Court of Appeals. Dr Luke has obstructed her efforts at every turn,” it continues.
However, Dr Luke’s lawyers Jeffrey Movit and Christine Lepera wrote to the judge suggesting otherwise.
“As our own letter to the court makes clear, Dr Luke is ready and willing to try the case in February and he looks forward to winning the trial. It is Kesha’s attorneys who have delayed the case for years by endlessly filing meritless appeals, which they have lost time and again,” the lawyers wrote to Rolling Stone in a statement.
“If the case is not tried in February, it solely will be due to the fact that Kesha’s lawyers decided yet again to take more appeals — this time of two decisions that once again ruled against her in the Appellate Division,” they added.
One of Kesha’s pending appeals is challenging the fact that the producer is deemed a private figure, which means he only needs to prove negligence and not malicious intent when it comes to Kesha’s alleged defamation against him.