Kesha and Dr Luke Ready to Bury the Hatchet: Dramatic Settlement in Defamation Lawsuit

Kesha and Dr. Luke Broadimage/Shutterstock; Steve C Mitchell/EPA/Shutterstock

Kesha and Dr. Luke have reached a settlement in their defamation lawsuit. A statement released on Kesha's Instagram account on Thursday, June 22, confirmed that both parties have agreed to issue a joint statement regarding the resolution.

Kesha, who is now 36 years old, acknowledged that the events of the night she claimed Dr. Luke assaulted her in 2014 are not fully clear to her. She stated that she cannot remember everything that occurred. However, she expressed her desire to move on from this chapter of her life and begin anew. Kesha concluded by wishing peace to all parties involved.

In 2014, Kesha had accused Dr. Luke, who is currently 49 years old, of assaulting her in 2005. According to her, she woke up in his bed feeling physically and mentally unwell, with no recollection of how she ended up there. Kesha took legal action against Dr. Luke, asserting that he had threatened to ruin her career if she ever spoke about the alleged assault.

Dr. Luke vehemently refuted the allegations and retaliated by filing a defamation lawsuit against Kesha. His attorney asserted that the claims were merely a component of a deliberate strategy to disseminate sensational and false statements.

Ultimately, Kesha decided to withdraw her lawsuit in August 2016, with the aim of prioritizing her music career.

Kesha's lawyer, Daniel Petrocelli, stated in August that she is determined to return to work and has already submitted 28 new songs to the record label. He also emphasized Kesha's strong eagerness to release both a single and an album, which has been communicated to Sony Music and the label.

Meanwhile, Dr. Luke persisted with his lawsuit, and it was scheduled to be taken to trial in New York in July, prior to the joint statement issued by Kesha and him.

"I acknowledge Kesha's statement regarding her inability to recall the events of that night in 2005, but I want to emphasize that nothing inappropriate took place," he stated in his note on Thursday. "I categorically deny any allegations of drugging or assaulting her, as I firmly believe in treating everyone with respect. For almost a decade, I have fought tirelessly to vindicate my reputation for the sake of my family."

In his final remarks, Dr. Luke expressed his desire to put this challenging situation behind him and focus on moving forward with his life. He also extended his well wishes to Kesha.

If you or someone you know have been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).