In his first comments on the ongoing sexual assault lawsuit filed by pop star Kesha, producer Dr Luke tweeted a series of statements claiming his innocence

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Pop mega-producer Dr Luke – whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald – has spoken for the first time about the ongoing sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by singer-songwriter Kesha.

The case made headlines on Friday after a New York judge ruled that Kesha could not be released from her recording contract with Sony Music despite filing a sexual assault lawsuit in 2014 against Gottwald, her former mentor.

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Fans immediately flocked to the singer’s defense, with major artists, including Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande, protesting the court’s decision on social media under the #FreeKesha hashtag. On Sunday, Taylor Swift donated $250,000 to “meet any of the singer’s financial needs”, according to Swift’s representative.

On Monday, Gottwald’s attorney, Christine Lepara, released a statement criticizing the social media campaign, calling the allegations against her client of sexual assault and emotional abuse “outright lies that have been advanced to extort a contract renegotiation and money”.

“Kesha and her counsel have cavalierly subjected Dr Luke and his family to trial by Twitter, using a vicious smear campaign to ruin his reputation for financial gain while failing to support their claims,” she continued.

Shortly after, Gottwield took to Twitter to defend himself.

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“Until now I haven’t commented on the lawsuits, which should be resolved in court not here on Twitter,” Gottwald began in a series of tweets.

“It’s a shame that there’s so much speculation out there basing itself on so little information,” he added, before tweeting: “I didn’t rape Kesha and I have never had sex with her. Kesha and I were friends for many years and she was like my little sister.”

Gottwald also tweeted multiple screen shots of articles from TMZ and the New York Daily News covering Kesha’s 2011 testimony in which she denied rape.

“It’s sad that she would turn a contract negotiation into something so horrendous and untrue,” he later tweeted. “But I feel confident when this is over the lies will be exposed and the truth will prevail.”

Kesha remains under contract with Gottwald’s Kemosabe Records, which is owned by Sony, pending the outcome of the full case.