Dr Luke claims Kesha owes $1.3 million in unpaid royalties

New York court case rumbles on

Kesha‘s court battle with Dr Luke has taken a new twist after the producer claimed that the singer owes $1.3 million (£1.04 million) in unpaid royalties.

Though the ‘Timber’ singer has dropped her California lawsuit against the music producer, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, a New York court case is ongoing.

Dr Luke revealed new details of her contract and royalty structures in court and told a New York judge that it is actually Kesha who owes money.

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“Plaintiffs have paid Kesha her royalties for all relevant accounting periods, while Kesha baselessly refuses to pay Plaintiffs the much larger sums she owes them,” states a memorandum filed by Dr Luke’s lawyers.

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“In December 2016 alone, Defendant received payments under her contracts with Plaintiffs in excess of $650,000. In sharp contrast, Defendant admits that she owes Plaintiff KMI over $1.3 million in ancillary royalties that she has failed to pay.”

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Kesha claims in proposed counterclaims that Dr Luke won’t support her new album and wanted to ruin her financially as vengeance for rape allegations.

In court papers, Dr Luke’s lawyer says that Kesha’s motion to amend her counterclaims “is yet another example of Kesha and her counsel’s attempt to litigate her dispute with Plaintiffs in the press. It was obviously designed to garner sympathetic headlines for Defendant, and further tarnish Plaintiffs, based upon false assertions and blatant mischaracterisations.”

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A further motion added: “Defendant also would have this Court – and the press and public – believe that Gottwald has interfered with her recording process and has prevented her from recording new music.

“Nothing could be further from the truth. As Kesha’s proposed counterclaim concedes, she is recording in the studio with producers of her choosing and preparation is underway for the release of her next album.

“Gottwald has not interfered in any way with her recording process; and there is no factual allegation (as opposed to bare conclusion) to the contrary in Kesha’s proposed pleading. The fact that Gottwald never forfeited his rights as CEO of Kemosabe Records does not – and cannot – give rise to any new counterclaim.”

Kesha and Dr Luke’s legal battle dates back to October 2014, when the singer filed a lawsuit in California against her producer citing “mental manipulation, emotional abuse and sexual assault”. Dr Luke countersued for defamation in New York.

It was confirmed in August last year, that the California case had been dropped so Kesha can focus on her New York legal proceedings.

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