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Kesha Drops California Lawsuit Against Dr. Luke

HOLLYWOOD, CA - MAY 07: Singer Kesha attends The Humane Society of the United States' to the Rescue Gala at Paramount Studios on May 7, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images for The Humane Society Of The United State )

Kesha has dropped her California lawsuit against Dr. Luke, which accused her erstwhile producer of rape and sexual abuse, Rolling Stone reports. The action had been on hold since June of last year, pending the outcome of Dr Luke’s defamation lawsuit against Kesha in New York. She will, however, continue to pursue appeals in New York, where a judge dismissed her sexual abuse claims against Luke last April.

“Kesha has dismissed her California action without prejudice while she pursues her appeal and other legal claims in the New York courts,” Daniel Petrocelli, Kesha’s legal counsel, wrote in a statement to Rolling Stone. “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.”

Christine Lepera, an attorney for Dr. Luke, responded: “If Kesha is voluntarily dismissing her claims in the California case, it is because she has no chance of winning them. Earlier this year, she lost her meritless counterclaims against Dr. Luke in the New York Action. Recently, the California Court invited Dr. Luke and the other defendants to move to dismiss Kesha’s claims in that action. Kesha never should have brought her false and meritless claims against Dr. Luke in any court. Dr. Luke’s defamation and other claims against Kesha are still proceeding.”

Rolling Stone also reports that Kesha has been recording the new tracks for the past several months, and has provided 28 new songs to Dr. Luke’s label, Kemosabe, in the hopes that she will be able to release a single and an album as soon as possible.

Kesha has been unable to release new music since 2014, when she initially filed claims of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse against Luke in California. When Luke countersued for defamation in New York, Kesha countersued in New York against Luke, alleging sexual assault, sexual harassment, and gender violence. She unfortunately did not fare well in New York, with Judge Shirley Kornreich refusing to grant a preliminary injunction last February that would have allowed her to suspend her contract and work with other producers and labels while her case was pending.

Last April, Judge Kornreich also threw out the majority of Kesha’s claims against Luke, saying, “Although [Luke’s] alleged actions were directed to Kesha, who is female, [her claims] do no allege that [Luke] harbored animus toward women or was motivated by gender animus when he allegedly behaved violently toward Kesha.”

Kesha is going on tour this month. “I’m playing songs you’ve never heard me play before and I may never play again — only a couple of shows,” she announced in July.