Producer The-Dream has been accused of sex trafficking, sexual assault and rape in a new lawsuit filed by the same firm that represented Sean “Diddy” Combs' ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, in her now-settled case against the music mogul. hip hop.
The eight-time Grammy winner, named in the lawsuit as Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, is accused in the civil lawsuit of trafficking then-songwriter Chanaaz Mangroe, 23, also known as Channii Monroe, in 2014. Mangroe alleged that she trafficked under the guise of a legitimate recording and distribution contract and that the “Umbrella” and “All of the Lights” hitmaker lured her into an abusive, violent and manipulative relationship. She is seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial.
In court papers filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Mangroe alleged that The-Dream's “depraved behavior” was facilitated by his artist label Contra Paris LLC and record label Epic Records. , whom she claims she allegedly persuaded to invest in Mangroe, pulled her out of negotiations and then used “corporate financing to assist her trafficking venture.”
Representatives for The-Dream and Epic Records did not immediately respond Tuesday to The Times' requests for comment.
However, speaking to the New York Times, the “Renaissance” producer denied the allegations.
“These claims are false and defamatory,” he said. “I oppose all forms of harassment and have always strived to help people achieve their professional 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, who worked in the United States on an international visa from the Netherlands in 2014, said she was invited through social media to join The-Dream and his partner Tricky Stewart in Atlanta. Mangroe, who had a three-year visa to work as a songwriter, was living in Los Angeles at the time and alleged that the performance was “far from the incredible opportunity she imagined.”
“EM. Mangroe's experience with Dream was nothing short of a prolonged nightmare,” says the 60-page complaint, obtained Tuesday by The Times. “Under the guise of securing a legitimate recording and publishing contract with Ms. Mangroe , Dream lured the young, vulnerable artist into an abusive, violent, and manipulative relationship filled with physical assaults, violent sexual encounters, and horrific psychological manipulation.”
She claimed that the producer used her voice without compensating her or giving her credit in his leaked 2016 song “Transparent” and that he also used it for “his base desires.” She alleged that he locked her in a dark room adjacent to a recording studio, violently had sex with her and then left her there naked and alone for hours. She alleged that he again had sexual relations with her and demanded that she tell him she loved him, according to her complaint.
Mangroe also accused the producer of using his age and influence in the music industry to manipulate her into believing she needed him to succeed and “tied her to his world through false promises” to gain her trust. She alleged that he assured her that she would sponsor an extension of her international visa; write her hit songs (like she said she did for Beyoncé and Rihanna) if she became part of her “shrine”; she offered him an elevated version of recording and publishing contracts with major labels; and told her that she would open for Beyoncé on an upcoming tour.
She alleged that The-Dream, who is married with nine children from four women, controlled every aspect of her stay in the United States, including the provision of housing in Los Angeles, transportation and food expenses, and maintained a close relationship. Track your location at all times. She allegedly forced her to “drink excessive amounts of alcohol” and frequently strangled her during violent sexual relations, at one point she strangled her until she almost lost consciousness. She also allegedly refused to use a condom during sex despite her protests and became enraged when she discovered she was taking birth control “because she believed it was a sign of disrespect,” according to the complaint.
She also alleged that he raped her in the back of a refurbished Sprinter van and forced her to perform sexual acts in a public movie theater, also recorded her during sex and “used the existence of the recording to threaten her.” [her] to silence.”
Mangroe alleges that her career was disrupted, her music was taken without explanation, and that she was never compensated for her work because “all attempts to revive her career have been hijacked by Dream and his supporters.” She said she has trauma from which she has not yet recovered, including feeling broken as an artist, and she constantly feels fear for her physical safety and she is plagued by reminders of the violence and control she allegedly experienced. .
“Nearly a decade later, Ms. Mangroe is still putting the pieces of her life back together, but she knows that without talking about what Dream did to her, she will never be able to recover from the damage he has caused her,” he said. the complaint said. “Therefore, she is filing this lawsuit to defend herself and other female artists who have been tormented by powerful and selfish men in the recording industry. “She seeks justice and accountability to prevent more horrific abuse like what she experienced and to regain her sense of self as an artist and as a woman.”
In a statement provided to The Times by his attorney, Mangroe said choosing to speak out about his trauma has been a difficult decision, but he hopes it will help survivors of abuse.
“But ultimately, what Dream did to me made it impossible to live the life I imagined and pursue my goals as a singer and songwriter,” she said. “In the end, my silence became too painful and I realized that I needed to tell my story to heal. I hope doing so will also help others and prevent horrific abuse in the future.”
“This is another horrible example of how men in the music industry use their power and influence to manipulate and harm others,” said attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor and Meredith Firetog, partners at Wigdor LLP. “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 cruel physical, psychological and sexual abuse. While he will never fully recover from what he and those who supported him did to him, his willingness to talk about it now is evidence of his extraordinary strength. We are honored to represent her.”
