Terius Gesteelde-Diamant — best known for producing and writing hits for the likes of Beyoncé and Rihanna under the name The-Dream — has been sued for rape, sexual battery, and sex trafficking by a former protégée.
Chanaaz Mangroe (who performed as Channii Monroe) filed a lawsuit in the US District Court in Los Angeles today (June 4th). Per Pitchfork, the suit alleges that Gesteelde-Diamant “lured” Mangroe into “an abusive, violent, and manipulative relationship filled with physical assaults, violent sexual encounters, and horrific psychological manipulation” in 2015 — all under the guise of “pursuing a legitimate recording and publishing contract.”
Gesteelde-Diamant (aka Terius Nash) is accused of repeatedly pressuring her into having sex while claiming it was all “part of the process,” strangling her, and filming one of their sexual encounters before threatening to show it to others.
Mangroe is represented by attorneys from the same firm as the lawyers for Cassie Ventura in a similar lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs, which was settled less than one day after it was filed.
“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 shared 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.”
Through a representative, Gesteelde-Diamant vehemently denied the accusations, saying, “These claims are untrue and defamatory. 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.”
As The-Dream, Gesteelde-Diamant has production and songwriting credits on No. 1 singles like Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” and “Break My Soul,” as well as hits like Justin Bieber’s “Baby,” Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body,” and JAY-Z and Justin Timberlake’s “Holy Grail.” His highest-charting song as an artist is the Fabolous collaboration “Throw It in the Bag.”
