Hit-making record producer The-Dream has been accused of sexual assault by his former protege in a lawsuit.
The complaint filed by Chanaaz Mangroe, who performed under the stage name Channii Monroe, alleges The-Dream lured her into “an abusive, violent, and manipulative relationship filled with physical assaults, violent sexual encounters, and horrific psychological manipulation.”
The Grammy-winning mega-producer, whose legal name is Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, is best-known for hits like Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” and “Break My Soul.” He also releases his own music.
Mangroe, 33, claims a representative for the 46-year-old producer reached out to her on social media and asked her to send samples of her music in 2014. A year later, Gesteelde-Diamant flew her to Atlanta from her native Netherlands.
He allegedly “told her that he would make her the next Beyoncé and Rihanna” but demanded she tell him intimate and embarrassing details about her life and give him complete control over her.
He then allegedly forced her to diet and exercise excessively, use drugs and alcohol, raped her and kept her in a locked room at times. She was also given limited contact with others.
Mangroe also alleges he disrupted her music career by forcing her to leave the record label she had previously signed to. That and the trauma and anxiety from her experience has caused financial losses, she claims.
The producer denied the allegations in a statement to The New York Times.
“I oppose all forms of harassment and have always strived to help people realize their career goals,” Gesteelde-Diamant said. “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.”
The suit was filed in in Los Angeles federal court. His label Contra Paris, LLC and Epic Records are also named in the suit,
“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.”
With News Wire Services
