Singer-songwriter The-Dream is facing serious allegations of rape, sexual battery, and sex trafficking in a new lawsuit filed by a singer whom he allegedly once told he would make “the next Beyoncé and Rihanna.”
The lawsuit, citing California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, was filed by a former protégée Chanaaz Mangroe, according to the New York Times.
Mangroe, who performs under the moniker Channii Monroe, claims that in 2015, the hitmaker used promises of advancing her career to trap her into an abusive relationship. She alleges that The-Dream, formally known as Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, coerced her into having sex with him repeatedly, strangled her, and threatened to show intimate recordings of them to others.
The 33-year-old aspiring singer says she met The-Dream in 2015 in Atlanta, where he allegedly dangled the promise of launching her career into superstardom. However, that dream quickly turned sour. Within days, Mangroe alleges The-Dream began pressuring her for sex, manipulating her by claiming it was necessary for her success. The lawsuit details disturbing incidents where he allegedly locked her in a dark room and forced himself on her, refused to use condoms despite her protests, and once put her up in an Atlanta hotel and instructed staff to monitor her movements. Additionally, the suit also describes an incident where he forced her to have sex with him in a theater in view of other moviegoers, which she described as “a physically painful encounter.”
“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.”
In a statement to the New York Times, the Grammy winner has denied the newly reported allegations, stating that they are “untrue and defamatory.”
“These claims are untrue and defamatory,” he said in the statement. “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.”
Mangroe is represented by Douglas H. Wigdor and Meredith A. Firetog, who also represented Cassie in her November lawsuit against Diddy.
“This is yet another horrific example,” Mr. Wigdor and Ms. Firetog said in a statement, “of how men in the music industry use their power and influence to manipulate and harm others.”
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