The-Dream made his name producing hits for women like Beyoncé and Rihanna. Now, another woman he worked with, singer Chanaaz Mangroe, is suing the producer for rape, sexual battery, and sex trafficking. Mangroe, who performed as Channii Monroe, says in her lawsuit that she first met The-Dream, the stage name of Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, in 2014 as a 23-year-old from the Netherlands hoping to break into American music. She claims The-Dream soon “lured” her “into an abusive, violent, and manipulative relationship,” while dangling his connections to Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Jay-Z. Mangroe is also suing Epic Records and The-Dream’s label, Contra Paris, for sex trafficking, alleging they facilitated his abuse. The-Dream denied Mangroe’s allegations to the New York Times, calling them “untrue and defamatory” and adding that he’s “deeply offended and saddened.” Vulture has reached out to Epic Records.
In the lawsuit, Mangroe alleges The-Dream pressured her to have sex during their first songwriting session for her debut album, telling her it was “part of the process.” She says the pattern continued as they worked together, and that The-Dream “became increasingly controlling” after she moved to Atlanta, his hometown. She also claims he grew increasingly violent, strangling her and forcing her to consume alcohol. When Monroe signed a contract with Epic Records and Contra Paris in May 2015, she alleges, The-Dream refused to allow her to communicate directly with Epic. After she told an executive about The-Dream’s abuse, she alleges, the executive told her “to figure out a way to work with Dream again.” Her deal with Epic eventually fell through when The-Dream didn’t turn in her album.
Mangroe, 33, said in a statement that she filed the lawsuit both “to heal” personally and in hopes of preventing “future horrific abuse.” “Choosing to speak out about the trauma I survived has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life, but ultimately, 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,” she said. Her lawyers, who also represented Cassie Ventura in the sexual-assault lawsuit she settled against Sean “Diddy” Combs, compared The-Dream to the now-disgraced producer. “This is yet another horrific example of how men in the music industry use their power and influence to manipulate and harm others,” said the attorneys, Douglas H. Wigdor and Meredith Firetog.
The-Dream has been experiencing a career revival in recent years. He co-wrote and -produced a number of tracks on Beyoncé’s Renaissance, including No. 1 hit “Break My Soul,” earning three Grammys and a nomination for Songwriter of the Year. More recently, he was credited on ten tracks on Beyoncé’s new album, Cowboy Carter. The-Dream previously co-wrote No. 1 hits including Rihanna and Jay-Z’s “Umbrella,” Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body,” and Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It).” He has also released a number of projects as a solo artist, most recently 2020’s SXTP4. The-Dream was previously arrested in 2014 for allegedly assaulting his pregnant ex-girlfriend, but the charges were dropped in 2015 over a lack of evidence.