Dr. Luke has reportedly been dropped by Sony Music.
The 43-year-old producer will no longer act as the CEO of Kemosabe Records – which he founded in 2011 – a court has heard, amidst his legal battle with pop star Kesha which saw his protégé accuse him of "mental manipulation, emotional abuse and sexual assault".
Court documents obtained by The Hollywood Reporter read: "Lukasz Gottwald is no longer the CEO of Kemosabe Records and does not have authority to act on its behalf."
Despite this, Dr. Luke’s representative Linda Carbone has said that her client’s relationship with Sony is still intact.
She said: "They (Sony) are not cutting ties.
"Can’t get into details but they do have continuing relationship involving Kemosabe."
However, an insider told The New York Post’s Page Six column his contract expired last month.
The source said: "His contract expired at the end of March so he is no longer CEO (of Kemosabe) but he still has a relationship with Sony."
Last month, a judge denied Kesha’s request for an amended lawsuit against Dr. Luke.
In late January, the star’s legal team filed a petition arguing that she should be released from her contract with the producer due to unpaid royalties and an alleged unwillingness from Dr. Luke in releasing her third studio album.
She said in her proposed countersuit: "You can get a divorce from an abusive spouse. You can dissolve a partnership if the relationship becomes irreconcilable. The same opportunity – to be liberated from the physical, emotional, and financial bondage of a destructive relationship – should be available to a recording artist."
However, Dr. Luke claimed it was Kesha who owed him $1.3 million in unpaid royalties, and failed to provide notice and a 30-day cure period.
A New York Supreme Court Justice denied Kesha’s request to amend her counterclaim lawsuit, according to documents.
Kesha also sought declaratory relief when she claimed it would be impossible to perform under the deals due to her acrimonious relationship with Dr. Luke.
The 30-year-old beauty originally sought to end her contract with the label, but Dr. Luke – whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald – reacted by counter-suing Kesha for defamation.
However, it was confirmed in August 2016 that the ‘Tik Tok’ hitmaker’s case had been dropped in order for her to deal with the defamation lawsuit.
Dr. Luke dropped from Sony
