Dr. Luke Drops Defamation Lawsuit Against Kesha

Dr. Luke and Kesha have settled their nearly decade-long legal battle after Dr. Luke dropped his defamation lawsuit against Kesha. The settlement comes just weeks before a highly-anticipated trial was scheduled to begin. The producer and pop star announced the news in a joint statement on Thursday.

"Only God knows what happened that night," Kesha (real name Kesha Rose Sebert) said in the statement posted on her Instagram. "As I have always said, I cannot recount everything that happened. I am looking forward to closing the door on this chapter in my life and beginning a new one. I wish nothing but peace to all parties involved."

Dr. Luke (real name Lukasz Gottwald) also released a statement on Thursday, maintaining that "nothing happened," but noting that he appreciated that Kesha acknowledged she couldn't recount what happened that night in 2005.

"I never drugged or assaulted her and would never do that to anyone," Dr. Luke added. "For the sake of my family, I have vigorously fought to clear my name for nearly 10 years. It is time for me to put this difficult matter behind me and move on with my life. I wish Kesha well."

Last week, Kesha scored a major legal win that made it more difficult for Dr. Luke to prove that she defamed him when she accused him of rape in 2014. For years, Dr. Luke claimed that she defamed him with the "false and shocking" allegation that he drugged and raped her after a 2005 party, arguing that she did so as leverage to secure a more lucrative deal. However, last Tuesday, New York's Court of Appeals ruled that he is legally a "public figure," which means he would have to show that Kesha acted with "actual malice" when she made her statements.

The end of the legal battle comes shortly after Kesha released her album Gag Order, her final album under Dr. Luke's Kemosabe Records. She is set to embark on a 22-stop tour this fall. Gag Order is an introspective album that differs greatly from her past party-pop albums and can't help but invoke her battle with the famous producer.