Judge throws out Kesha's case against Dr. Luke

Dr. Luke and Ke$ha pose onstage at the 28th Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards at the Kodak Ballroom on April 27, 2011.
(Image credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

A New York state judge threw out Kesha's case to be freed from her contract with Sony and her producer, Dr. Luke, who she claims drugged and raped her, on Wednesday, dismissing a handful of the pop star's claims against the producer due to lack of jurisdiction and physical evidence. The suit's dismissal comes after the same judge denied Kesha a preliminary injunction against Dr. Luke in February.

New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Werner Kornreich ruled that Kesha's allegations that Dr. Luke sexually assaulted her and inflicted emotional abuse did not amount to a hate crime, as the singer alleged. "Although [Dr. Luke's] alleged actions were directed to Kesha, who is female [...] Every rape is not a gender-motivated hate crime," Kornreich said in the ruling.

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Samantha Rollins

Samantha Rollins is TheWeek.com's news editor. She has previously worked for The New York Times and TIME and is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.