Kesha has been denied an appeal of legal ruling in the case that she defamed Dr. Luke. The denial of the appeal came after the New York Court of Appeals ruled that producer, Dr. Luke cannot be considered a “public figure.”
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Kesha has been entrenched in this legal battle since 2014 when she sued Dr. Luke for alleged emotional abuse and sexual assault. Dr. Luke, also known as, Lukasz Gottwald, countersued the popstar on claims that she breached their recording contract and made up the sexual assault allegations to get out of the contract.
In February of 2020, it was ruled that Kesha had defamed Dr. Luke over a text that was sent to Lady Gaga, where she claims that Gottwald sexually assaulted Katy Perry. Both Perry and Gottwald have denied this claim.
On the same day, Kesha’s legal team announced that they would appeal the verdict. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, on April 22, that appeal was denied.
The ruling states, “Although Gottwald has sought publicity for his label, his music, and his artists — none of which are subject of the defamation here – he never injected himself into the public debate about sexual assault or abuse of artists in the entertainment industry.”
Three out of five judges on the New York Court of Appeals determined that Dr. Luke is not a “public figure.” The ruling states that also his music is well known, it does not make him a “general-purpose” public figure.
“Gottwald’s success in the music business is not enough to bring him into the realm of a general-purpose public figure, even if the music he produces is known to the general public or he is associated with famous or household word musicians, especially where he has used his efforts as a producer to obtain publicity not for himself, but for the artists that he represents.”
The Hollywood Reporter also points out that the denial of Kesha’s appeal could be suppressed due to New York’s passing of an anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) law that “makes even private-figure plaintiffs demonstrate a defendant’s actual malice on issues of public concern.”
There has not been a date set for the final trial yet.
WATCH MORE: Kesha Tells How Creating Pop Music Makes Her Happy
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