EXCLUSIVEHitmaking music producer The-Dream blasts rape allegations from former protégé Chanaaz Mangroe as 'utterly irrelevant'
Hitmaker The-Dream has returned fire at the female former protégée accusing him in a lawsuit of rape, sexual assault and sex trafficking – with his attorneys filing a claim to dismiss the stunning allegations.
The music producer, real name Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, is accused of trapping Chanaaz Mangroe in an abusive relationship where he subjected her to ‘violent sexual acts and vicious psychological torture,' according to paperwork in a Los Angeles court.
But lawyers for 46-year-old The-Dream, who has penned hits for Beyonce and Rihanna, Friday filed a reply to have the case thrown out, saying the dramatic claims are a ‘shotgun pleading.'
The term is used when there are many allegations but none of them specific enough for a defendant to respond properly to them.
In an eight-page letter filed in the United States District Court, Central District of California, The-Dream’s attorneys accuse 33-year-old Mangroe of making ‘paragraph after paragraph of utterly irrelevant allegations.'
The-Dream, real name Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, has hit back at Dutch-born performer Chanaaz Mangroe as his attorneys have filed a claim to dismiss her rape, sexual assault and sex trafficking allegations
Mangroe (pictured) accused The-Dream of trapping her in an abusive relationship where he subjected her to ‘violent sexual acts and vicious psychological torture,' according to paperwork in a Los Angeles court
The letter to Dutch-born Mangroe’s legal team says these ‘have no connection to this case and appear to have been included solely to attack Diamant’s reputation or to create prejudice against him.'
On the same theme, it concludes: ‘Plaintiff’s complaint contains dozens of allegations that are utterly irrelevant to her sexual battery and sex trafficking claims and are, instead, designed to smear Diamant’s name and reputation.'
These included references to Diamant’s previous marriages and the ‘number of children he has fathered and with whom’.'
Also ‘allegations relating to Diamant’s alleged affairs, aversion to providing childcare, divorces and prior law enforcement dealings.'
On the rape claim, the attorneys insist that under California law ‘rape does not constitute a distinct cause of action in civil law.'
And on the sex-trafficking accusation, they say Mangroe ‘has wholly failed to plead a claim in an allegation that would need to prove force, threats, fraud and coercion in a ‘commercial sex act.'
The letter ends: ‘Per the above, Defendants intend to file a motion to dismiss each of Plaintiff’s causes of action, and a motion to strike Plaintiff’s immaterial and unnecessary scandalous allegations… unless the parties are able to resolve these issues without judicial intervention.’
Mangroe, 33, claimed the singer-songwriter, 46, subjected her to 'violent sexual acts and vicious psychological torture' and accused him of sex trafficking
Mangroe was 23 at the time when, according to the filing, The-Dream led the 'vulnerable artist into an abusive, violent and manipulative relationship' in 2015
Mangroe’s former record label Contra-Paris LLC is also accused in the lawsuit. It is claimed it failed to intervene while allegedly knowing of incidents involved in the claims. It argues that it is a Delaware-based company and not liable for this action in California.
Desiree F. Moore, one of the attorneys for both defendants, told DailyMail.com: ‘The complaint is a textbook example of a 'shotgun pleading' and must be dismissed in its entirety for failing to attribute specific factual allegations to each defendant.
‘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’s lawsuit alleges The-Dream lured her into a relationship with false promises of launching her music career.
She was 23 at the time when, according to the filing, The-Dream led the 'vulnerable artist into an abusive, violent and manipulative relationship' in 2015.
The recording guru and prolific songwriter – who has won eight Grammys – was involved in hits such as Rihanna's Umbrella, Justin Bieber's Baby and Mariah Carey's Touch My Body. He also helped make Beyoncé's Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) and Break My Soul.
Having built a close bond with Beyoncé, The-Dream has also been credited on each of the 42-year-old superstar's albums since 2008.
Mangroe, who performed under the stage name of Channii Monroe, claimed he 'told her that he would make her the next Beyoncé and Rihanna' with promises to promote her music career.
However, he allegedly entrapped her in an abusive relationship, during which she said he repeatedly raped and strangled her.
On Friday the hitmakers lawyers filed a reply to have the case thrown out, saying the dramatic claims are a ‘shotgun pleading’
She also claimed she was a victim of revenge porn as he once filmed an intimate encounter and threatened to send it to other people.
According to her complaint, they met when The-Dream reached out to her in late 2014 and asked her to send him her music.
In January 2015, Mangroe said she traveled to meet him in Atlanta, where he took her to a strip club and began recording with her.
In her lawsuit, she claimed that the record producer quickly began to pressure her into sex and told her it was 'part of the process.'
She also alleged that at one point, he brought her to a house with a studio, locked her in a dark room and 'would only stop aggressively having sex with her once she said that she loved him.'
In her lawsuit, Mangroe claimed the producer would refuse to use a condom, increasingly became more violent and controlling over time and would often place a gun next to her when forcing her to have sex.
She claimed that in the summer of 2015, she reported his abuse to an Epic executive, who ignored her complaints and told her that ‘she needed to figure out a way to work with Dream again.'
The following year, she claimed the major music label dropped her because of The-Dream not delivering music.
In an eight-page letter filed into the United States District Court, Central District of California , The-Dream’s attorneys accuse Mangroe of making ‘paragraph after paragraph of utterly irrelevant allegations.' (pictured: left to right Rich Paul, Steve Stoute, Jay-Z, Juan 'OG' Perez and The-Dream at the Grammys in February 2023)
Mangroe, who performed under the stage name of Channii Monroe, claimed he 'told her that he would make her the next Beyoncé and Rihanna' with promises to promote her music career. (pictured: Monroe sitting with Beyoncé and Jay-Z at the 65th GRAMMY Award in 2023)
Epic is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Mangroe shared a statement with The New York Times and said she has been unable to pursue her dream of becoming a musician due to the trauma from his alleged abuse.
'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.
'Ultimately, my silence has become too painful, and I realized that I need to tell my story to heal,' she continued in the statement. 'I hope that doing so will also help others and prevent future horrific abuse.'
The-Dream was also previously accused of violence against women. In 2014, he was charged with assault after a former girlfriend — who was eight months pregnant at the time — alleged he kicked, punched and choked her.
His now-ex claimed he also threatened to kill her 'like OJ Simpson killed Nicole Brown' during the altercation.
The following year, the case was dismissed when prosecutors said they could not prove the assault 'beyond a reasonable doubt' and his charges were dropped.
The-Dream has previously denied Mangroe’s allegations to The New York Times and called them 'untrue and defamatory.'
He also told the outlet that he's 'deeply offended and saddened' by them.
'I oppose all forms of harassment and have always strived to help people realize their career goals,’ he said. ‘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 is being represented by the same lawyers who represented Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura when she sued Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, in November 2023.
The lawsuit, which detailed harrowing recollections of abuse as seen in the recently reemerged footage of the embattled rapper violently attacking her in a hotel hallway, was settled just one day after filing.
