Terius Gesteelde-Diamantknown in the music industry as The-Dreamfaces serious accusations of alleged sex trafficking, rape and psychological manipulation. Chanaaz Mangroe, a former protégé of the prolific songwriter and producer, filed a lawsuit against him last Tuesday in federal court in California. The young woman alleges that Gesteelde-Diamant subjected her to a abusive control for his powerful position in the industry, with the promise of facilitating a stellar career that he never intended to fulfill.
According to the lawsuit, the man, who has worked with big names in music such as Beyonce, Rihanna and Justin Bieberused his influence to manipulate a young woman from the Netherlands who was looking to enter the world of music.
Under the guise of signing a legitimate recording contract, the songwriter allegedly led Mangroe into an abusive and violent relationship. The complainant, in documents cited by the Washington Postt, maintains that Gesteelde-Diamant controlled every aspect of his life, from where he lived to his daily activities.
The-Dream, winner of eight Grammy Awards, has credits on major pop hits such as “Umbrella” by Rihanna, “Single Ladies” of Beyonce and “Baby” from Justin Beiber. However, this is not the first time she has faced legal problems. In 2014, he was arrested on charges of assault and strangulation, which were dropped the following year due to lack of evidence.
In the lawsuit, Mangroe (under the professional name of Channi Monroe), details that Gesteelde-Diamant put her up in a hotel in Atlanta and kept a copy of the key so she could come and go as she pleased. She was required to check in with him every day and obey all of her instructions. The producer also controlled his social media accounts and his interaction with other people.
During recording sessions, The-Dream He allegedly forced her to consume marijuana and alcohol, and aggressively pressured her to have sex, arguing that it was part of the “process.” According to her complaint, on several occasions he refused to use her protection during these intimate encounters and once forced her to throw away her birth control pills, because she described it as “a lack of respect for him.”
Added to other episodes of physical aggression, Mangroe She also alleges that he recorded her during a sexual encounter and then used the recording to blackmail her if she did not comply with his orders.
According to the plaintiff, the composer had promised great opportunities to boost her musical career, such as the possibility of opening for Beyoncé on a tour. But despite this, there was never any concrete progress regarding the album they were working on.
The accusation maintains that when she tried to distance herself from the producer, he became vindictive and refused to give her the music they had produced together, which has stalled her career.
Mangroe is represented by attorneys Douglas Wigdor and Meredith Firetog, who have also represented other victims in high-profile music industry cases.
In a statement, the woman said: “What Dream did to me, made it impossible to live the life I imagined for myself and pursue my goals as a singer and songwriter. Ultimately, my silence has become too painful and I have realized that I need to tell my story to heal. I hope that by doing so it will also help others and prevent future horrific abuse.”
For her part, Gesteelde-Diamant strongly denied the allegations in a statement to The New York Timess: “These statements are false and defamatory. I oppose any form of harassment and have always strived to help people achieve their professional goals. “As someone committed to having a positive impact on my fellow artists and the world at large, I am deeply offended and saddened by these accusations.”
In case of The-Dream It is part of a growing number of similar complaints in the music industry, about a pattern of abuse of power and manipulation towards emerging artists. Mangroe’s suit was filed under Sexual Abuse and Cover-up Accountability Act of California, which extends the statute of limitations for these cases.
