The-Dream, the prolific producer and songwriter behind hits like “Umbrella,” “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” and “Baby,” has been sued for rape, sex trafficking and sexual battery in a lawsuit filed in federal court on Tuesday.
In the suit, filed in the U.S. District Court’s Central District of California, Chanaaz Mangroe — professionally known as Channii Monroe — alleges that in 2015 Dream, whose real name is Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, used his stature as a close collaborator with artists like Rihanna and Beyoncé and “lured the young and vulnerable artist into an abusive, violent, and manipulative relationship filled with physical assaults, violent sexual encounters, and horrific psychological manipulation.”
Mangroe claimed that among other allegations, Gesteelde-Diamant had forced her to drink excessive amounts of alcohol, choked her multiple times and at one point recorded sexual acts with her then “used the existence of the recording to threaten Ms. Mangroe into silence.”
Gesteelde-Diamant remains one of the most sought-after hitmakers in the music industry, having worked with Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Justin Bieber, and Mariah Carey, among others. He’s won eight Grammy Awards on 21 nominations, and most recently produced several songs on Cowboy Carter, including “Levii’s Jeans” with Post Malone.
A rep for Diamant did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but told the New York Times, “These claims are untrue and defamatory. 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.”
“Choosing to speak out about the trauma I survived has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life, but ultimately, 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’s attorneys Douglas Wigdor and Meredith A. Firetog, who represented Cassie Ventura in her lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs, called the allegations “yet another horrific example of how men in the music industry use their power and influence to manipulate and harm others.”
“Dream, like Sean Combs did with Ms. Ventura and others, used his standing as a prominent recording artist and producer to subject Ms. Mangroe to vicious physical, psychological, and sexual abuse,” Wigdor and Firetog said. “While she will never fully recover from what he and those who supported him did to her, her willingness to speak out now is evidence of her extraordinary strength. We are honored to represent her.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
