Kesha, producer trade lawsuits over abuse claims

(AP) — Pop singer Kesha is suing her producer and mentor, claiming he sexually and emotionally abused her for nearly a decade — allegations he calls extortion.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles alleges the hit-making producer known as Dr. Luke drugged and raped Kesha and emotionally abused her until she had to enter rehab for an eating disorder earlier this year.

Dr. Luke filed a lawsuit in New York calling the claims defamatory and an attempt to extort him to give Kesha a better record deal.

Kesha signed with Dr. Luke's record company when she was 18. He produced her first two albums and the hit "Tik Tok."

Kesha's lawsuit claims the producer, whose real name is Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald, has control over her career. It seeks to invalidate their recording agreements.