Dr. Luke Sues Kesha’s Lawyer for Defamation After Gaga Rape Accusations

UPDATE: A Los Angeles judge has decided to put Kesha’s lawsuit against Dr. Luke on hold. The pop star had hoped for the case to be tried in L.A., but because she asked for her contract with Luke to be voided – and the contract stipulates disputes would be handled in New York – the suit is on pause, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Her lawyer had attempted to keep it in L.A. by saying that California’s laws about sexual abuse now included an anti-waiver clause, but the judge said that because Kesha’s contract was not signed this year that it did not apply.

Dr. Luke has filed a lawsuit against Mark Geragos, the lawyer representing Kesha in her suit against Luke, for defamation. Earlier this month, when Lady Gaga revealed that she had been a victim of sexual assault, Geragos sent a number of tweets implying that Luke was the attacker. In the tweets, which he has since deleted, the lawyer wrote at one point, “Guess who the rapists [sic] was?” And when someone replied with “Lukasz” – the producer’s real name is Lukasz Gottwald – he retweeted their answer and wrote “#bingo.”

“Through the publication of these ‘tweets,’ [Geragos] unambiguously and crassly asserted that [Dr. Luke] was the ‘rapist’ who sexually assaulted Lady Gaga,” the summons, which has been filed in New York City, says. The summons, obtained by Rolling Stone, also states that Geragos defamed the producer by telling TMZ, “I said it, because it’s true.”

The summons calls Geragos’ accusations “demonstrably false and defamatory.” It also asserted that Gaga had never met Luke around nine years ago, the time when she said the assault took place. Furthermore, it claims Luke has “never been alone with her, has never touched her and has met her only twice for very brief periods of time.”

Luke is seeking damages in an amount to be determined at trial, as well as attorneys’ fees and other costs.

A representative for Lady Gaga reiterated to Rolling Stone a previously released statement the singer has made. “This ridiculous, manufactured link between Lady Gaga and the Kesha/Dr. Luke lawsuit is utterly incomprehensible,” said the spokesperson. “This simply isn’t true and how dare someone take advantage of such a sensitive matter.”

A representative for Gottwald declined to comment. Geragos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Beginning in October, Geragos has been representing Kesha in a lawsuit against Dr. Luke, in which she alleges that the producer “sexually, physically, verbally and emotionally abused” her over the past decade. The same day, Luke filed a suit against Kesha and her mother claiming they had defamed him by feeding lies to people behind a “Free Kesha” campaign to end the pop star’s contract with the producer. It also said that they had attempted to extort him in an effort to get her out of her contract with him. Luke has also filed a preemptive suit against Kesha’s mother in the event that a judge won’t try her in New York since she is based out of Nashville. The lawsuits are ongoing.