Kesha Ordered to Pay Alleged Rapist Dr. Luke $374K, Lawsuit Continues

The battle between Kesha and music producer Lukasz Gottwald aka Dr. Luke rages on. And it’s not going well for the “Raising Hell” singer.

New York Supreme Court Judge Jennifer G. Schechter ruled on Thursday that Kesha is guilty of defamation against Dr. Luke because she once texted Lady Gaga that Dr. Luke raped Katy Perry, something Perry denies.

The ruling is part of a larger lawsuit Dr. Luke filed against Kesha back in 2014 in retaliation for her alleging he raped her and bringing a civil suit against him.

Schecter’s ruling found that Dr. Luke isn’t a public figure, a decision The Hollywood Reporter aptly describes as a “big surprise,” which means that the normal bar for defamation against a public figure — acting with “actual malice” — will no longer apply or need to be proved by Dr. Luke’s lawyers.

It’s a major blow for Kesha in this seemingly unending court battle with her former producer. Additionally, Schecter ruled that Kesha now owes $347,000 in interest over royalties that she withheld from Dr. Luke’s company once the series of lawsuits began.

Kesha's legal team plans to appeal, but there’s still a question of whether or not Kesha’s claims that Dr. Luke raped her count as defamation. That will eventually be put to a jury.

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With the burden of proving rape already such a difficult task, the idea that a powerful and well-connected man like Dr. Luke can turn around an sue for defamation over claims that were properly brought about in court is fairly horrifying. And now it’s up to a jury to decide if Kesha will have to pay her alleged rapist for daring to try to bring him to justice.

Gross.