Kesha drops California lawsuit against Dr. Luke to focus on music

Kesha has dismissed her California lawsuit against Dr. Luke to focus on her music career, which has been on hold since she first accused the producer of years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse in 2014.

Kesha suffered serious setbacks in her case in New York after State Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich denied her request for a preliminary injunction to be released from her contract at Dr. Luke's Kemosabe Records. A few months later, Kornreich denied most of Kesha's counterclaims against Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald.

While Kesha is still pursuing an appeal in New York, she filed a motion on Monday to dismiss the original claims filed in California.

In a statement to Mashable, Kesha's lawyer, Daniel Petrocelli, said she is shifting her focus to making music.

“Kesha is focused on getting back to work and has delivered 28 new songs to the record label,” he said. “We have conveyed to Sony Music and the label Kesha’s strong desire to release the single and an album as soon as possible."

Dr. Luke's attorney, Christine Lepera, said in a statement that the singer is dismissing her claims "because she has no chance of winning them."

"Earlier this year, she lost her meritless counterclaims against Dr. Luke in the New York Action," she wrote. "Recently, the California Court invited Dr. Luke and the other defendants to move to dismiss Kesha's claims in that action. Kesha never should have brought her false and meritless claims against Dr. Luke in any court. Dr. Luke's defamation and other claims against Kesha are still proceeding."

Kesha's lengthy legal battle began in a Los Angeles Superior Court in October 2014, when she first accused Dr. Luke of abuse, including drugging her and raping her, over their decade-long working career. The Los Angeles case was put on hold after Gottwald countersued for defamation in New York.

While Kesha has not released new music since 2012's Warrior, she was featured on Zedd's empowerment anthem "True Colors." When sharing the single on Twitter, Zedd clarified that it was released with the permission of RCA and Kemosabe.

Last month she embarked on her Kesha and the Creepies Tour, on which she has been performing new songs.

Attorneys for Kesha and Dr. Luke have not responded to Mashable's request for comment.