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Cape Town - New York State Supreme Court Judge Jennifer G. Schecter, made a significant ruling in the long-running legal battle between Kesha and producer Lukasz' Dr Luke' Gottwald.
According to court documents viewed by Pitchfork, the judge ruled that Kesha "made a false statement to Lady Gaga about Gottwald, and that was defamatory".
The judgement refers to text messages that Kesha sent to Lady Gaga, in which Kesha claimed that the 46-year-old raped Katy Perry.
Judge Jennifer G. Schecter made mention of the fact that Katy denied the claim and added that there's no supporting evidence to back up Kesha's claim in the documented text message to Lady Gaga.
She wrote in her ruling: "Publication of a false statement to even one person, here Lady Gaga, is sufficient to impose liability."
The judge also ruled that Kesha was in breach of contract with Dr Luke's company KMI due to late royalty payments. Kesha was ordered to pay $374 000 (over R5 million) in interest.
This follows a 2016 ruling by the same court that the singer cannot pursue a countersuit aiming to void her business contracts with Dr Luke, according to NPR.
READ NEXT: Dr. Luke seeking millions in damages from Kesha.
Kesha's legal team promised to appeal the decision, saying in a statement: "We disagree with the court's rulings. We plan to immediately appeal."
At the time of writing, Kesha has dropped or lost all her legal battles with the famous producer.
Dr Luke's lawyers said in a statement released to the press that: "(The producer) looks forward to the trial of his case where he will prove that Kesha's other false statements about him were equally false and defamatory."
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, NGO Rape Crisis has a helpline that operates twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, offering counselling and advice about the next step. To call and make an appointment contact 021 447 9762.
Compiled by Alex Isaacs (Sources: Pitchfork, NPR, Channel24)
