Kesha’s Mother Withdraws Counterclaims Against Dr. Luke
The ugly and complicated legal battle involving Kesha and Dr. Luke has shed at least one layer of complexity. In October 2014, Kesha Rose Sebert sued Lukasz Gottwald in California, accusing the producer of sexual, physical, verbal, and emotional abuse, including sexual assault. Dr. Luke, who hasn’t been charged with a crime, sued Kesha in New York, accusing her of defaming him to try to get out of her record contract. That lawsuit also named Kesha’s mother, Pebe Sebert. Roughly the same time, Dr. Luke sued Pebe Sebert in Tennessee on similar claims. Kesha’s mother countersued in Tennessee, claiming emotional distress. Fast forward to this past February, when a New York judge dismissed Dr. Luke’s claims against Pebe Sebert in the state. The Tennessee case continued, however. On Tuesday, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Pebe Sebert dropped her countersuit against Dr. Luke in the Volunteer State. She also reportedly parted ways recently with lawyer Mark Geragos, who filed Kesha’s initial lawsuit. Update (4/27, 6:32 p.m. ET): Pebe Sebert’s lawyer Alex Little has shared a statement. ”The litigation with Dr. Luke has been a nightmare for Mrs. Sebert and her family,” he wrote. ”She has decided to move on and find peace and forgiveness in her heart rather than dwelling in the cancerous past of an ongoing lawsuit with no end in sight.”
Dr. Luke, meanwhile, is keeping up his claims against Kesha and her mother, the producer’s lawyer Christine Lepera told THR.
Most of the skirmishes in this legal fight recently have taken place in New York, where Kesha countersued Dr. Luke. Last June, a Los Angeles judge temporarily set aside the California case. Then, in February, the same New York judge who let Pebe Sebert out of Dr. Luke’s lawsuit there also denied Kesha’s request for an injunction that would have let her sign to a label besides Dr. Luke’s Sony Music imprint Kemosabe Records. The judge accepted Dr. Luke and Sony lawyers’ arguments that Kesha would be allowed to record without Dr. Luke’s being involved. Earlier this month, the judge dismissed virtually all of Kesha’s legal claims against Dr. Luke, including “hate crime” allegations.
The conflicts aren’t over. Kesha has appealed New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich’s decision not to grant an injunction. Dr. Luke’s lawyers reportedly expect to take sworn testimony from Kesha and her mother in June. A status conference with Kornreich is scheduled on May 11, with another hearing set for May 13, online court records show. A status conference is also reportedly on the way in the California case.
Meanwhile, Kesha has teamed up with Zedd. During the first weekend of Coachella, she made a surprise appearance with him on his song “True Colors,” originally from the producer’s album of the same name. On Tuesday, she posted a photo of the two together on Instagram, writing, “It’s a miracle when someone gives you a chance at finding your voice again with no reason other than that he is a fucking beautiful person with a heart of gold @zedd.” Today, Zedd tweeted an April 29 release date for their collaboration on “True Colors,” along with artwork. Update (4/27, 7:13 p.m. ET): TMZ reports that the song will be released via Zedd’s label Interscope and that Sony and Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe imprint signed off and gave Kesha permission to do the project.
ZEDD & KESHA – TRUE COLORS
OFFICIALLY OUT: 4/29 pic.twitter.com/mYppzByuVB— Zedd (@Zedd) April 27, 2016
Read “Are Kesha’s Lawyers Playing to the Public More Than the Courts?” and “Why Kesha Lost Her Court Battle, But Not Necessarily the War” on the Pitch.
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