Kesha and producer Dr Luke settle long-running lawsuit

Pop singer Kesha and music producer Dr Luke have reached an agreement to settle a years-long defamation lawsuit.

In a identical statement they each shared on Instagram, the two said they "agreed to a resolution" of the case.

Lukasz Gottwald, better known as Dr Luke, sued Kesha in 2014, saying she had fabricated rape claims against him to get out of a recording contract.

Kesha, whose full name is Kesha Rose Sebert, rose to fame with Dr Luke-produced hits Tik Tok and We R Who We R.

She sued him in 2014, seeking to void their contract because, her lawyers claimed, he had "sexually, physically, verbally, and emotionally abused [Kesha] to the point where [she] nearly lost her life".

The allegations of abuse included two instances in which Kesha claimed Gottwald had drugged and raped her.

A trial was due to begin on 19 July. The out of court settlement comes days after a New York appeals court ruled Dr Luke to be a public figure, raising the burden of proof for the producer to successfully prove he had been defamed.

The terms of their deal have not been publicly released.

Their Instagram statement, which included quotes from each of them, said they "agreed to issue and post a joint statement regarding that resolution".

"Only god knows what happened that night," Kesha's statement said, adding: "As I have always said, I cannot recount everything that happened.

"I am looking forward to closing the door on this chapter of my life and beginning a new one. I wish nothing but peace to all parties involved."

Dr Luke, who has recorded hits for Katy Perry, Avril Lavigne and Flo Rida, said he was grateful to "put this difficult matter behind me and move on with my life".

"While I appreciate Kesha again acknowledging that she cannot recount what happened that night in 2005, I am absolutely certain that nothing happened," he said.

"I never drugged or assaulted her and would never do that to anyone. For the sake of my family, I have vigorously fought to clear my name for nearly 10 years," he continued.

He ended by saying: "I wish Kesha well."