Kesha says she was offered her ‘freedom’ if she retracted Dr. Luke rape claims

Kesha says she was offered a deal in exchange for a lie.

The “Tik Tok� singer, whose fight to get out of her contract with Sony Music hinges on an allegation that she was sexually abused for years by producer Dr. Luke, posted an Instagram message Sunday claiming she’d been given the opportunity to end the drama now, if she’d just do this one thing: say she lied about being raped.

“[S]o,� she wrote, “I got offered my freedom IF i were to lie. I would have to APOLOGIZE publicly and say that I never got raped. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS behind closed doors. I will not take back the TRUTH. I would rather let the truth ruin my career than lie for a monster ever again.�

She was referring to what she said in 2011 in a deposition in an unrelated case. Under oath and on video, she said at the time that Dr. Luke, real name Lukasz Gottwald, never drugged her or had “an intimate relationship� with her, as she is currently alleging.

“The Court repeatedly stated Kesha is already free to record without Dr. Luke, and that she had not presented any facts supporting her claims ...,� a spokesperson for Dr. Luke said in a statement to Rolling Stone on Sunday. “The only thing Kesha is not free to do is to continue to lie about Dr. Luke through publicity stunts and outrageous smears, ignoring the fact that by her own free will she went to work and entered into new contracts with Dr. Luke years after this ‘incident’ supposedly happened.�

The statement continued: “We look forward to our day in court holding Kesha accountable for her lies.�

Now, the 29-year-old performer, real name Kesha Rose Sebert, is reportedly in talks to bring Dan Petrocelli on as co-counsel with Mark Geragos as the case moves forward.

“She’s ready to go to war with these people,� a source told People on Monday. Petrocelli successfully represented Fred Goldman, father of Ron Goldman, in his wrongful-death civil suit against O.J. Simpson.

Dr. Luke and Sony have claimed that Kesha is really trying to renegotiate a better contract. She’s currently obligated to deliver a half-dozen more records for Sony.

In February, a judge rejected Kesha’s request for a preliminary injunction that would cut her ties with the company while the case is litigated and allow her to return to work, which she hasn’t done since seeking treatment for an eating disorder in January 2014. The court said that letting Kesha out of her current contract would cause Sony irreparable financial harm. Kesha’s legal team is appealing that decision.

“It’s a shame that there’s so much speculation out there basing itself on so little information,� Gottwald wrote in a series of tweets after the preliminary injunction was denied. “The only truly objective person who knows the facts is the judge. ... I understand why people without all the information are speaking out. I can appreciate their compassion. But lives can get ruined when there’s a rush to judgment before all the facts come out. Look what happened at UVA, Duke etc.�

According to the lawsuit, Gottwald over the course of a decade -- after bringing Kesha to Los Angeles from Tennessee at 18 -- “sexually, physically, verbally, and emotionally abused Ms. Sebert to the point where Ms. Sebert nearly lost her life,� aiming “to destroy her self-confidence, self-image, and self-worth so that he could maintain complete control over her life and career.�

His attorney Christine Lepera said at the time: “The New York County Supreme Court on Friday found that Kesha is already ‘free’ to record and release music without working with Dr. Luke as a producer if she doesn’t want to. Any claim that she isn’t ‘free’ is a myth.�

The complaint Kesha filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2014 painted a dark picture of abuse, including comments about her talent and her weight. Because of a clause in her contract, the singer was ordered by the court to handle the case in New York, where Dr. Luke had separately sued her for defamation and breach of contract.

In March, it was rumored that Sony was cutting Dr. Luke loose in a response to public pressure. His attorney denied the story.

After the injunction was rejected in February, the likes of Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Fiona Apple, Lena Dunham and Lorde supported Kesha on social media. Taylor Swift gave the performer $250,000, and Kelly Clarkson -- whose songs “Since U Been Gone� and “My Life Would Suck Without You� were produced by Dr. Luke -- also added her voice to the mix.

“He’s a talented dude, but he’s just lied a lot,� Clarkson said of Luke during an Australian radio interview. “I’ve run into a couple really bad situations.

“Musically, it’s been really hard for me because he will just lie to people. It’s like, ‘What?’ It makes the artist look bad. He’s difficult to work with, kind of demeaning, it’s kind of unfortunate.... Obviously the dude is a talented guy but character-wise, no.�

Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ. Follow the Ministry of Gossip @LATcelebs.

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