The music producer Dr. Luke—pictured above second from right—has been the engine behind inescapable hits from artists like Katy Perry, Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus, but he never worked more closely with an artist than he did with pop star Kesha, eight of whose nine singles he wrote and co-produced. But rather than a close artistic partnership, Kesha alleges in a new lawsuit, their relationship was dangerous and predatory.

According to TMZ, which as seen a copy of the filing, Kesha alleges that Dr. Luke—whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald—abused her both physically and sexually over the last decade, starting when she was 18.

In one instance, Kesha claims he forced her to snort something before getting on a plane … and during the trip he forced himself on her while she was drugged.

On another occasion, Kesha claims after forcing her to drink with him, Dr. Luke gave her what he called "sober pills." Kesha claims she woke up the following afternoon, naked in Dr. Luke's bed, sore, sick … and with no memory of how she got there.

[...]

Kesha also says there was physical abuse ... once she says he attacked her at his Malibu house where he was "violently thrashing his arms at her." She says she escaped and ran barefoot down PCH and hid in the mountains.

These claims are in addition to earlier allegations made by Kesha that Dr. Luke sparked an eating disorder for which she eventually entered rehab by routinely verbally abusing her.

The lawsuit—which can be read in full at The Hollywood Reporter—was filed in civil court, so Dr. Luke is not facing criminal charges or jail time.

Kesha hasn't put out an album since November of 2012, when her second full-length Warrior was released on Luke's Kemosabe Records in conjunction with RCA. According to TMZ, a section of Kesha's suit against Dr. Luke requests that she be let out of her contract with him.

Her lawyer Mark Geragos provided TMZ with the following statement:

This lawsuit is a wholehearted effort by Kesha to regain control of her music career and her personal freedom after suffering for ten years as a victim of mental manipulation, emotional abuse and an instance of sexual assault at the hands of Dr. Luke.

If you have heard anything about Dr. Luke's treatment of his artists, leave a comment below or email me at jordan@gawker.com.

UPDATE: Dr. Luke has filed his own suit against Kesha alleging defamation and breach of contract.

[image of Adam Lambert, Max Martin, Luke and Kesha via Getty]