The-Dream files a motion to dismiss the former protegée’s lawsuit against him, which alleges assault, rape, and sex trafficking
In a complaint filed in June, singer-producer Chanaaz Mangroe charged that he had seduced her into a “abusive, violent, and manipulative relationship”.
The-Dream has filed a move to dismiss a federal lawsuit that his former protégé brought against him in June, alleging that he committed sexual assault, rape, human trafficking, and other heinous crimes.
Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, 46, is a musician, songwriter, and producer. In paperwork submitted on Friday, August 16, which PEOPLE was able to see, he requests the lawsuit be dismissed “in its entirety.”
Desirée F. Moore, The-Dream’s lawyer, contends that Chanaaz Mangroe’s complaint is a “shotgun pleading” that “must be dismissed in its entirety for failing to attribute specific factual allegations to each defendant.”
Additionally, they are asking that Contra Paris, LLC be removed from the case due to California’s lack of personal jurisdiction.According to the document, the complaint against the performer of “Falsetto” “weaponizes destructive racial stereotypes.”
Dream’s legal team claims in the motion that before the complaint raises a single relevant allegation, the plaintiff devotes several pages to unfounded rumors intended to harm Diamant’s children and cast doubt on his marital history; unproven claims of past violence (none of which led to any proceedings or findings against Diamant); inaccurate portrayals of an absent father; and racist suggestions that Diamant is involved in a street gang.
In addition, Mangroe “sought out” The-Dream for many years after their interactions ended, “unilaterally soliciting sex (and other favors), including in writing,” according to the defendant’s defense team, even after he declined. Additionally, they say that the plaintiff’s assertions that The-Dream went after her are “false.”
Furthermore, The-Dream’s legal team is attempting to have the plaintiff’s rape claim dismissed or struck, claiming that California law does not recognize rape as a distinct civil cause of action.
“Plaintiff’s complaint contains dozens of allegations that are utterly irrelevant to her sexual battery and sex trafficking claims and are, instead, designed solely to smear Diamant’s name and reputation,” Moore said in a statement that was released.
They further stated, “Absent any facts alleging plaintiff’s involvement in a ‘commercial sex act,’ her cause of action for sex trafficking against Diamant must be dismissed.”
Mangroe representatives have not responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment yet. The-Dream was sued by Mangroe on June 4th, according to court records was able to get. She says that The-Dream coerced her former protégée into signing a recording and distribution deal, which put the 23-year-old “vulnerable artist into an abusive, violent and manipulative relationship” in 2015.
The lawsuit, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, claims that Mangroe’s encounter with The-Dream was “nothing short of a prolonged nightmare” and lasted for more than a year.
According to the complaint, The-Dream attempted to win Mangroe’s “complete trust” by using his influence in the music business to give her “false promises.” Mangroe was born in the Netherlands.
According to the complaint, that allegedly included promising her an opening slot on Beyoncé’s upcoming tour, guaranteeing hit songs if she joined collaborators Rihanna and Beyoncé in his “sanctuary,” sponsoring the extension of her international visa, and offering “lofty visions” of contracts with major labels.
But according to the lawsuit, The-Dream truly used Mangroe to satisfy his own cravings, which “manifested in violent sexual acts and vicious psychological torture.”
According to the court document, Mangroe was once held in a dark room by the music producer, who then allegedly “violently” had sex with her before leaving and coming back to have further intercourse with her under the demand that “she tell him she loved him.” The-Dream “once raped Ms. Mangroe in the back of a renovated sprinter van,” the lawsuit claims, on a different occasion, the same night he “forced her to engage in sex acts in a public movie theater.”
Mangroe was allegedly threatened into silence by The-Dream, who made her “engage in forced sexual acts in multiple jurisdictions” and recorded her doing so.
The artist of “My Love,” according to the filing, coerced Mangroe into drinking “excessive amounts of alcohol” by pouring it down her throat, “refused to wear a condom and regularly ejaculated inside” of her, and would “frequently” strangle her during “violent sex”—one instance to the point where “she almost lost consciousness.” The-Dream’s record label, Contra Paris LLC, and Epic Records were also accused of supporting his “depraved behavior.”
Additional reports included in the court document assert that The-Dream “kept a close track of her location at all times” and had complete control over Mangroe’s stay in the United States, including where she resided and could go, who she could talk to, and what she could eat.
Mangroe’s career was allegedly ruined by the producer’s “heinous acts,” since her song was purportedly taken without permission and she never got paid for her labor.
Every attempt by Mangroe to restart her music career has been “hijacked by Dream and those who support him,” she claims.Mangroe’s lawyers, Douglas H. Wigdor and Meredith Firetog, sent a statement to PEOPLE that said, “This is yet another horrific example of how men in the music industry use their power and influence to manipulate and harm others.”
They continued, saying, “Her willingness to speak out now is evidence of her extraordinary strength, even though she will never fully recover from what he and those who supported him did to her.” It is a privilege to speak for her.
Mangroe claimed that disclosing her tragedy was “one of the most difficult decisions of my life” in a statement.
“But in the end, Dream’s actions prevented me from pursuing my dreams of becoming a singer and songwriter and living the life I had imagined for myself,” the woman stated.
“In the end, I realized that I need to tell my story to heal, and my silence has become too painful,” Mangroe continued. By speaking out, she hopes that her choice “will also help others and prevent future horrific abuse.”
