Kesha

Gottwald sued Kesha in 2014, saying she had fabricated rape claims against him to get out of a recording contract.

In a ruling on Thursday, New York judge Jennifer Schecter said the star had defamed Gottwald when she texted Lady Gaga claiming he had raped Katy Perry.

Kesha was also told to pay interest of $373,671 (£289,000) on late royalties.

The pop star, whose full name is Kesha Rose Sebert, rose to fame in 2009 with Dr Luke-produced hits like Tik Tok and We R Who We R.

The song, called Praying, is a piano ballad which seems to be aimed directly at her old manager Dr Luke.

The two have been locked in a legal battle for years, including allegations of sexual abuse made by Kesha which Dr Luke denies.

The singer has also written an essay documenting her struggles with depression, anxiety and an eating disorder over the past few years.

Kesha's attorney told Rolling Stone the singer dropped her civil lawsuit in California, but will continue to pursue appeals in New York where a judge dismissed her sexual abuse claims against Gottwald in April. (The sole claim pending is a request to terminate Kesha's contract with Gottwald's company.)

This was the singer's first public appearance on stage since her case against Dr. Luke's Kemosabe Records was dismissed.

Kesha claimed that the producer had sexually assaulted her over the years, which he has strongly denied.

She has received support from a number of other celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Adele and Taylor Swift as well as fans with the slogan #FreeKesha.

The lyrics from 'True Colours' have been interpreted to reflect her personal situation.

Her lawyer Mark Geragos posted a short video of her singing the track 'Animals' on Twitter, thanking everyone "who has had her back".

The 'Tik Tok' singer faced a significant setback recently when a New York judge refused her application for an injunction releasing her from her Sony Music contract.

It came after she accused her producer Dr Luke of sexual assault and sexual harassment, accusations that Dr Luke has since denied, saying: "The only truly objective person who knows the facts is the judge. The judge did not rule in Kesha's favor on Friday.

The 28-year-old singer was denied a preliminary injunction earlier this month, suffering a major setback in her bid to break her contract with Dr Luke's Kemosabe Records.

Kesha has accused the producer and record label owner of sexually abusing her - a claim he has strenuously denied.

Kemosabe Records is a subsidiary under Sony Music, so Kesha and her fans have called for the major label to take action.

A week after Kesha suffered a setback in her battle to be freed from her Sony contract, she received some support from Lady Gaga on social media.

Along with a picture of the pair holding hands, Lady Gaga tweeted simply: "Free Kesha."

Later in the day, Gaga also shared a statement from California lieutenant governor Gavin Newsom hailing Kesha for giving "strength to many who have been afraid to speak up" about abuse.

While launching a legal bid to get out of her Sony contract, Kesha accused her producer Dr Luke of sexual assault and sexual harassment.