Hit songwriter The-Dream sued for rape, physical abuse

The-Dream, the fruitful The 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 assault in a lawsuit filed in federal court Tuesday.

In the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court Central District, 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 associate with artists like Rihanna. and Beyoncé and “led the young and vulnerable artist into an abusive, violent and manipulative relationship filled with physical assaults, violent sexual encounters and gruesome psychological manipulation.”

Mangroe alleged that, among other allegations, Gesteelde-Diamant forced her to drink excessive amounts of alcohol, choked her several times and at one point recorded sexual acts with her and then “used the existence of the recording to threaten Mrs. 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 has won eight Grammy Awards in 21 nominations and most recently produced many songs cowboy carter, including “Levii's Jeans” featuring Post Malone.

A Diamant representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but said: New York Times, “These claims are untrue and defamatory. I oppose any form of harassment and have always tried to help people achieve their career goals. As someone who is 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 talk about the trauma I survived was one of the hardest decisions of my life, but ultimately, what Dream did to me made it impossible for me to live the life I envisioned for myself and pursue my goals as singer and songwriter. ,” Mangroe said in a statement. “Eventually, my silence became too painful and I realized that I must tell my story in order to heal. I hope this will help others and prevent future horrific abuse.”

Mangroe 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 power and influence them to manipulate and harm others.”

“Dream, as Sean Combs did with Ms. Ventura and others, used his position as a prominent recording artist and producer to subject Ms. Mangroe to violent 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 a testament to her extraordinary strength. It is our honor to represent her.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.