What happened between Kesha and Dr Luke? Everything to know as ‘Tik Tok’ hitmaker’s name is back in Pitbull’s ‘Timber’ credit

Tik Tok hitmaker Kesha's name was temporarily removed from the credits for Pitbull's 2013 hit Timber, causing a stir among fans. As per Billboard, for a limited time on Sunday, August 18, the singer's name disappeared from the song's title and thumbnail on YouTube, sparking speculation about what had happened. However, by the next day, Monday, August 19, the title of the video, which has over 1.5 billion views, was restored to its original format.

The video is now listed as "Pitbull, Ke$ha – Timber (featuring Ke$ha – Official Video)" with the singer's name. Following the fan outcry, Pitbull took to X on Sunday evening to share a video clip from the music video and assure fans that he was looking into the matter. He tweeted:

"@KeshaRose and I have an incredible song together. Nothing will change this. Team Pitbull is looking into this matter. Always nothing but love for Kesha, Dale!"

After the issue was fixed, Pitbull responded to his tweet by commenting:

"Thank you to the fans. Team Pitbull got on it. Dale!"

Fans still had many theories as to why the Blow singer's name was taken off the video title and credits. Many speculated that the incident had to do with the singer's longstanding battle with the song’s main producer Lukasz Gottwald, professionally known as Dr. Luke.

The singer sued Dr. Luke back in 2014 with allegations that he s*xually, mentally, and physically abused her. However, Luke denied the allegations and sued for defamation, eventually reaching an out-of-court settlement with the singer in 2023. Here is one speculative fan's reaction to the incident from X:

Fans thought that Dr. Luke was behind the incident (Image via X/@PopCrave)

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Kesha's fight against Dr. Luke explored

In September 2005, when Kesha was just 18 years old, she moved to Los Angeles after dropping out of high school and signed with Dr. Luke and his Kasz Money Company in a six-album deal. The very next month, the singer attended a Nikky Hilton party at Paris Hilton’s house along with the producer.

Kesha gained monumental success with her 2010 debut single, Tik Tok, and studio album, Animal. Two years later, in 2012, she followed it up with the release of her second studio album, Warrior. However, in January 2014, she checked into rehab for an eating disorder, and by October of that same year, the singer filed a civil lawsuit in California alleging s*xual, physical, and verbal abuse against the producer.

The singer alleged that the abuse took place over a ten-year period from the start of their professional relationship. In the lawsuit, the singer alleged that the producer forced her to consume date-r*pe drugs at the Nikki Hilton party and s*xually abused her later.

Additionally, the Take It Off singer detailed another incident where the producer violently thrashed her with his arms, which led her to run for escape barefoot down the Pacific Coast Highway. Along with multiple allegations of rape, the singer alleged that the producer emotionally and psychologically abused her for a long time, leading her to experience social isolation, panic attacks, PTSD, and extreme depression.

However, on the very same day, Luke denied all allegations and played it off as an extortion attempt in a defamation lawsuit filed against Kesha, her mother, Pebe, and manager Jack Rovner. In 2015, Kesha filed an emergency preliminary injunction request for release from her record contract with Luke.

In February 2016, the producer's defamation lawsuit against the singer's mom and manager was dismissed, which led to the #FreeKesha movement. However, the singer's preliminary injunction request was denied. That same month, the producer released a few tweets, maintaining his innocence and claiming that he never r*ped or had s*x with the singer.

On August 1, 2016, Kesha dropped her lawsuit against Luke. After a struggle that took place spanning almost a decade, the producer's defamation lawsuit was finally settled out of court on June 22, 2023. In a statement on Instagram at the time, the singer stated that only God knew what happened that night at the Nikki Hilton party. She continued:

"As I 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."

In a statement made by Luke at the time, the producer appreciated the singer's acknowledgment of being unable to recount exactly what happened in 2005. According to The Guardian, his statement read:

"I am absolutely certain that nothing happened. 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. It is time for me to put this difficult matter behind me and move on with my life. I wish Kesha well."

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Kesha Rose Sebert's most recent and fifth studio album, Gag Order, was released on May 19, 2023, under the Kemosabe and RCA Records labels.