Kesha suffered another setback Thursday in her ongoing legal battle with former producer Lukasz Gottwald, aka Dr. Luke.
New York Supreme Court judge Jennifer G. Schechter ruled that the "Raising Hell" singer defamed Gottwald when she sent a text message to Lady Gaga alleging that he had raped Katy Perry. The judge noted that Perry has denied Kesha’s claim and there is no evidence to back it up.
The ruling means Gottwald’s lawyers can show Kesha acted with malice when she made the rape allegation. (Schechter also ordered the pop star to pay Gottwald $374,000 in interest on royalty payments that she was holding back.)
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In a statement to reporters, Kesha’s lawyers said they “disagree with the Court’s rulings [and] we plan to immediately appeal.”
Gottwald sued Kesha in 2014 and accused her of making up sex assault allegations to get out of her contract with him.
Kesha, who worked with Gottwald for a decade, sued him in 2014 for sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, emotional abuse and violation of California business practices. The case was dismissed by a judge in 2016. Her bid to be released from her contract with Gottwald’s Kemosabe Records was also denied.