American Songwriter
Kesha has earned a pre-trial win in her defamation lawsuit against Dr. Lukasz Gottwald. New York Court Appeals ruled Tuesday afternoon (June 13) that the music producer is considered a “limited public figure.” The announcement comes weeks before the long-awaited trial begins.
Now that Dr. Luke will be deemed a public figure, he will need to prove that Kesha’s claims were false or that she acted with “reckless disregard for the truth.” Before the ruling was overturned, he was declared a private figure and held to a lower standard.
“By 2014, when Gottwald initiated this defamation action, he was, by his own account, a celebrity – an acclaimed music producer who had achieved enormous success in a high-profile career,” wrote Judge Michael Garcia in official court documents obtained byReuters. “He purposefully sought media attention for himself, his businesses, and for the artists he represented, including Sebert, to advance those business interests.”
