Dr. Luke Out As CEO Of Sony's Kemosabe Records Amid Kesha Legal Battle

The producer and singer have been embroiled in a legal battle since 2014.
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Sony’s Kemosabe Records has parted ways with Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald, according to court documents obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.

The documents state that Gottwald “is no longer the CEO of Kemosabe Records and does not have authority to act on its behalf.” Sony’s legal team submitted the filing to dismiss a counterclaim by Kesha against Kemosabe.

Gottwald reportedly still has a relationship with Sony Music, per The Guardian, though the outlet notes his role as CEO ended on March 31. A page on Sony’s website about Gottwald has also reportedly been removed, according to THR.

The Huffington Post has reached out to reps for Kesha, Gottwald and Sony and will update this post accordingly.

Rumors that Gottwald would be dropped by Sony started swirling last year following a report by The Wrap. A source told the website Gottwald’s lawsuit with Kesha had turned into “a public relations headache” for Sony.

However, Gottwald’s attorney denied The Wrap’s report at the time, telling HuffPost it was “not true.”

“Luke has an excellent relationship with Sony. His representatives are in regular contact with executives at the highest levels at Sony, and this has never come up,” his attorney said.

This latest revelation comes as Gottwald and Kesha continue their legal battle, which dates back to 2014; the “TiK ToK” singer filed a lawsuit against Gottwald, accusing him of sexual assault and battery.

Since then, there has been plenty of back and forth from both parties, with Gottwald continuously denying the allegations against him.

Last February, a New York judge denied Kesha’s motion requesting she be released from her contract with Sony, though he did rule that she could work with a different producer under the Sony umbrella.

Most recently, Kesha’s team released a series of emails portraying Gottwald in a negative light, which prompted the producer to respond with damning emails of his own.

The “Cannibal” singer has not released an album since 2012’s “Warrior,” though she’s done various performances and released a song with Zedd. She also toured with a new band, Kesha and the Creepies, last summer.

Kesha dropped her lawsuit against Gottwald in California but continues to fight her case in New York.

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