The-Dream Accused of Rape & Sexual Battery In New Lawsuit

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In shocking news, The-Dream is being accused of rape and sexual battery in a new lawsuit.

As reported by the New York Times, the lawsuit was filed on Tuesday (June 4) by a former protégé of the GRAMMY-winning hitmaker. Chanaaz Mangroe, who performed as Channii Monroe, says that in 2015, The-Dream (real name Terius Gesteelde-Diamant a.k.a. Terius Nash) used the promise of furthering her career to trap her in an abusive relationship.

The suit describes the “Falsetto” crooner as a “Svengali-type figure” who controlled Mangroe’s life, physically and sexually abusing her repeatedly. He even threatened to share a video recording of one of their intimate encounters with others.

Mangroe is also accusing The-Dream of sex trafficking in the lawsuit, citing the Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act. The California-based law allows people to bring sexual assault cases for such incidents, despite the expired statute of limitations.

“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.”

More from The NY Times:

According to her complaint, she was working in the United States in late 2014 when an associate of Mr. Gesteelde-Diamant asked her to send examples of her music. In January 2015, she flew to Atlanta to meet Mr. Gesteelde-Diamant, who took her to a strip club, began recording with her and, according to the complaint, “told her that he would make her the next Beyoncé and Rihanna.”

Within days, according to Ms. Mangroe’s lawsuit, Mr. Gesteelde-Diamant began to pressure her into sex, telling her it was “part of the process.” At a house with a studio where they were working, the suit says, he locked her in a dark room and “would only stop aggressively having sex with her once she said that she loved him.”

More encounters would follow, including one where The-Dream allegedly forced her to have sex in a crowded movie theater, which she described as “a physically painful encounter.” Throughout the relationship, he continued to promise her career opportunities that fell flat.

Mr. Gesteelde-Diamant signed Ms. Mangroe to his record label, Contra Paris, and arranged for a distribution deal for her with Epic Records, a major label owned by Sony. The court papers say that by the summer of 2015, Ms. Mangroe was trying to escape from Mr. Gesteelde-Diamant’s control and prepare for the release of an album, but her efforts were unsuccessful.

According to the complaint, Ms. Mangroe reported Mr. Gesteelde-Diamant’s abuse to an Epic executive, who told her that “she needed to figure out a way to work with Dream again.” In July 2016, according to the complaint, Ms. Mangroe was told that Epic was dropping her because Mr. Gesteelde-Diamant, who still controlled her artist contract, had not delivered music. Epic is also named as a defendant in the suit.

The-Dream has issued a statement, calling the claims “untrue and defamatory.”

“I oppose all forms of harassment and have always strived to help people realize their career goals,” he says.  “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.”

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