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Prolific songwriter and producer The-Dream has been accused of rape, sexual battery and sex trafficking in a lawsuit by a former mentee.
The lawsuit was filed in a California federal court on Tuesday by Chanaaz Mangroe who went by the stage name Channii Monroe.
In documents obtained by The New York Times, The-Dream, whose real name is Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, is accused of promising Mangroe a prominent career but instead luring her into an “abusive, violent and manipulative relationship filled with physical assaults, violent sexual encounters, and horrific psychological manipulation” around 2015.
Gesteelde-Diamant is an eight-time Grammy winner known for hits like Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” He recently collaborated heavily with Beyoncé on her 2022 album “Renaissance,” which earned him three of those Grammy wins.
From the Netherlands, Mangroe arrived in the United States in 2014 under a working visa. In 2015, she met the songwriter/producer who “told her that he would make her the next Beyoncé and Rihanna.” She claimed Gesteelde-Diamant also promised to extend her visa.
Court documents state Gesteelde-Diamant strangled Mangroe, forced her into sex, and even recorded her during the act. The lawsuit claims he “used the existence of the recording to threaten (her) into silence.”
Mangroe claims that within days of meeting “Falsetto” singer, he pressured her into sex by telling her it was “part of the process.” They were working at a studio in a house when she claims he locked her in a dark room and “would only stop aggressively having sex with her once she said that she loved him.”
The plaintiff claimed that over the course of a year Gesteelde-Diamant pressured her and forced her to use drugs and alcohol excessively, had sex with her that was violent beyond her consent, raped her at times and kept her locked in a room for long stretches. She claimed he was violently controlling and forced her to diet and exercise, and allowed her little contact with others.
Documents state that at the same time of the sexual encounters, he made big promises to her like opening for Beyoncé on an upcoming tour.
“What Dream did to me made it impossible to live the life I envisioned for myself and pursue my goals as a singer and songwriter,” Mangroe said in a statement. “Ultimately, my silence has become too painful, and I realized that I need to tell my story to heal. I hope that doing so will also help others and prevent future horrific abuse.”
Mangroe also claims Gesteelde-Diamant’s record label Contra Paris and Epic Records facilitated his “depraved behavior” by signing her “despite the fact that he never intended to truly support her career trajectory, but instead wanted corporate funding to assist in his trafficking venture.”
The budding artist was reported paid $35,000 in advance, but Gesteelde-Diamant received a $150,000 payment for the execution of the contract, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The lawsuit claims Mangroe spoke to an executive at Epic about the abuse and the person told her “she needed to figure out a way to work with Dream again.”
Epic is also named in the lawsuit. The record label is owned by Sony.
KTLA 5 has reached out to the label for a comment on this lawsuit and has not heard back.
Documents say that in July 2016, she was informed Epic was dropping her because Gesteelde-Diamant, who still controlled her contract, had not delivered music.
“She was left in the dark throughout the entire process despite both Contra and Epic Records having a signed contract and owing corporate responsibilities to her, and despite agents of both entities knowing that Ms. Mangroe had been the subject of Dream’s violent and coercive manipulation, which they knew or should have known were predicated of fraudulent promises of record contracts, Grammys, and opening for Beyoncé,” court documents read.
A representative for Gesteelde-Diamant provided a statement from the producer to The Times.
“These claims are untrue and defamatory,” the statement said. “I oppose all forms of harassment and have always strived to help people realize their career goals. As someone committed to making a positive impact on my fellow artists and the world at large, I am deeply offended and saddened by these accusations.”
For the lawsuit, Mangroe hired Douglas H. Wigdor and Meredith A. Firetog, who represented Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in her lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2023. The lawsuit was settled the next day.
“This is yet another horrific example,” the lawyers said in a statement to The Times, “of how men in the music industry use their power and influence to manipulate and harm others.”
In 2014, Gesteelde-Diamant was charged with assault after an ex-girlfriend claimed he punched, kicked and strangled her while she was pregnant in 2013.
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