Kesha claims her producer Dr Luke drugged and raped her
Singer in court battle with Dr Luke, who says she is trying to extort her way out of contract
Pop singer Kesha and music producer Dr Luke have unleashed duelling lawsuits trading accusations of abuse and extortion as the Die Young singer says she wants out of her record contract with the hit-making producer.
Kesha, 27, whose legal name is Kesha Sebert, accused Dr Luke in a civil lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on Tuesday of sexual, physical, verbal and emotional abuse.
The lawsuit accuses Dr Luke, whose legal name is Lukasz Gottwald, of forcing Kesha to "take drugs and alcohol in order to take advantage of her sexually while she was intoxicated".
The 41-year-old producer behind hits for singers such as Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus responded with his own lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court accusing Kesha and her mother, Pebe Sebert, of defamation and breach of contract.
The lawsuit accuses Kesha and her mother of orchestrating a campaign to publish "false and shocking accusations" against Dr Luke to extort him into letting the singer out of her contract.
"Kesha's lawsuit is nothing more than a continuation of her bad and offensive acts," Dr Luke's lawyer, Christine Lepera, said.