Kesha Accuses Dr. Luke of Holding Up Defamation Case
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Kesha Accuses Dr. Luke of Holding Up Defamation Case

Kesha is ready to face Dr. Luke ahead of their upcoming New York trial in 2023. There's only one problem: Kesha and her lawyers are accusing the music producer of holding up the case by rejecting her attempts to expedite the process.

In legal documents obtained by Rolling Stone, Kesha and her lawyer wrote a letter to a New York judge early Tuesday morning arguing that the trial is unable to proceed unless her two previous appeals are resolved. The letter also accuses Dr. Luke and his legal team of refusing to comply with the briefing deadlines to qualify for either October or November oral arguments ahead of the trial in February 2023.

One of the appeals seeks to reverse the significant ruling that said Dr. Luke was not a public figure, which would've required higher standards to prove that he was defamed. As a private figure, the producer now only needs to prove that Kesha acted with negligence when she accused him of misconduct, which included claims that he raped her and Katy Perry, emotional abuse and more.

The second appeal seeks to overturn the decision for Kesha to be ineligible to receive retroactive coverage if she wins despite a law put into place in 2020 that allows winning defendants to seek legal fees from the wealthy that sue them.

Dr. Luke's lawyer Christine Lepera claims that the producer is ready to go to trial with the appeals still pending, but Kesha argues that they must be resolved. Kesha's lawyer Leah Geodesy wrote in a letter to a New York judge, "“It would be a monumental waste of party and judicial resources to proceed to trial when there is a very real risk that a new trial immediately would be required, as would be the case if the Court of Appeals reverses as to any of the several questions currently before it. Promptly resolving the pending appeals is essential before trial can begin."

"Kesha has an overwhelming interest in having the trial proceed as scheduled on February 20, 2023," Geodesky continued. "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."

Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, sued Kesha in 2014 the same day she filed a suit alleging he sexually, emotionally and physically abused her. Luke argued in his suit that she defamed him in an attempt to secure a better contract. Kesha dropped the sexual abuse case in 2016, and is now facing the defamation trial.

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