Kesha has won a decisive, pre-trial victory in her ongoing legal dispute with the producer Dr Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald. On Tuesday (June 13), the State of New York Court of Appeals ruled that Gottwald is considered a “public figure”, which makes it more difficult for him to prove his defamation claim against the singer.
In the 40-page court document, Judge Michael Garcia wrote that “by 2014, when Gottwald initiated this defamation action, he was, by his own account, a celebrity – an acclaimed music producer who had achieved enormous success in a high-profile career” therefore “he must prove that Sebert’s allegedly defamatory statements were made with actual malice”.
To do this, Dr Luke must provide “clear and convincing evidence that each statement was made ‘with either knowledge that it was false or reckless disregard for the truth.’”
Kesha initially sued Dr Luke and Sony Music in 2014, alleging that the producer sexually assaulted her, and Dr Luke then countersued for defamation. In 2020, a New York State judge ruled against Kesha, and a 2021 appeals court upheld that decision, but the new ruling on Tuesday has reversed both of those. The case will now head to trial, which is scheduled for July.
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