Still embroiled in an ongoing lawsuit, Kesha has scaled back her legal actions against producer Dr. Luke, who she has accused of sexual abuse.
The singer has dropped a set of claims in California, where her case has been on hold since June of last year, but is still pursuing appeals in New York, where a judge dismissed her sexual abuse claims against Dr. Luke back in April.
Kesha has also recorded (at her own expense) and delivered a slew of new songs to Dr. Luke’s record label, Kemosabe, in an effort to get her career back on track.
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Her counsel Daniel Petrocelli, said in an official statement, “Kesha has dismissed her California action without prejudice while she pursues her appeal and other legal claims in the New York courts. Kesha is focused on getting back to work and has delivered 28 new songs to the record label. We have conveyed to Sony and the label Kesha’s strong desire to release her next album and single as soon as possible.”
This battle began back in 2014 when Kesha initially filed in California claims of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse against Dr. Luke. He countersued for defamation in New York, and a Los Angeles judge than put the case on hold citing that, per contractual provisions, New York was the proper venue. Kesha then countersued in New York, alleging sexual assault, sexual harassment, and gender violence, but a judge there refused to grant a preliminary injunction that would have allowed her to suspend her contract and work with other producers and labels while her case was pending. The same judge then dismissed the majority of her claims, including those of a gender-based hate crime, gender discrimination, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. An appeal in New York is still pending.
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