Kesha Scores Victory in Legal Battle With Dr. Luke as They Face Off in Defamation Trial

Kesha just scored a point in her ongoing legal battle with Dr. Luke.

If you were unaware, the “Praying” hitmaker and the producer (real name Lukasz Gottwald) have been engaged in a battle for years now that started in 2014 when Kesha accused Dr. Luke of sexual assault amongst other things.

They are now heading to court after he sued her for defamation. However, a new legal decision will make it harder for him to prove his case.

Read more about Kesha’s win in court…

According to Billboard, New York’s highest appeals court ruled that Dr. Luke was a public figure, which means that he would need to prove that Kesha acted with “actual malice” with her accusations against him.

This is a notably harder thing to prove than had Dr. Luke been considered a standard citizen.

“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,” the court wrote in a decision obtained by the outlet. “He purposefully sought media attention for himself, his businesses, and for the artists he represented, including Sebert [Kesha], to advance those business interests.”

While Kesha scored the point before they head to trial, Billboard noted that the ruling didn’t go totally in her favor. The court denied a request to rule that the statements Dr. Luke is focusing on in the case would be protected from legal evaluation.

“We are pleased that the Court of Appeals agreed with Dr. Luke that the vast majority of Ms. Sebert’s statements are properly the subject of his defamation claim,” Dr. Luke‘s lawyer told the publication. “Therefore, at trial, Ms. Sebert will be required to defend her harmful and long-standing press campaign against Mr. Gottwald.”

If she does emerge victorious in the trial, Kesha will be allowed to go after the producer for some of her legal fees.

If you missed it, Kesha seemingly alluded to her legal battle with Dr. Luke on her new album. The artist recently stripped down for some nude photos promoting the release, too.