Kesha explains dropping case against Dr. Luke in Facebook post

More than 18 months after she first filed charges against her producer Dr. Luke, Kesha has dropped her sexual abuse case in Los Angeles. The singer’s lawyer confirmed the news Monday evening—and now the 29-year-old has issued her own statement: “My fight continues,” she wrote on her Facebook. “I need to get my music out. I have so much to say. This lawsuit is so heavy on my once free spirit, and I can only pray to one day feel that happiness again.”

She then re-iterated her counsel in saying that she is only dropping her case in California court and that she would still be pursuing her other legal claims. “I am continuing to fight for my rights in New York,” she wrote. “Thank you for all your support. The support of my fans has been so beautiful and I’m so grateful for it. I’m not sure where I would be without you all.”

After Kesha’s team confirmed the news, legal representation for Dr. Luke (born Lukasz Gottwald), who has denied Kesha’s claims in court and on social media, responded late Monday evening. His lawyer, Christine Lepera, said, “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.”

The contract disagreement between the pop singer and Dr. Luke began back in October 2014. Alleging that the producer had emotionally and physically abused her as well as threatened to “shut her career down” if she ever told anyone, the suit requested Kesha be released from any contracts with Gottwald and his label’s parent company, Sony Music Entertainment. Gottwald responded almost immediately, filing a defamation suit, calling Kesha’s claims “a campaign of publishing false and shocking accusations against [Gottwald] to extort Plaintiffs into letting” the singer out of her contracts.

While Kesha awaits her appeal in New York, she will launch a 17-date, late summer tour, her first since 2013. While she has only released one song since litigation began—she was featured on Zedd’s “True Colors” in April—the singer has promised to debut new material during this trek. “I’m playing songs you’ve never heard me play before,” she said, “and I may never play again.”

See her full Facebook post:

https://www.facebook.com/