The-Dream is named in a new lawsuit that accuses him of rape, sexual battery and sex trafficking.
Chanaaz Mangroe filed the suit in LA Tuesday, noting she met Dream after coming to U.S. from the Netherlands. She says he “was willing to work hard to make her recording dreams come true” and promised to make her “the next Beyoncé or Rihanna” before their relationship allegedly became abusive.
Mangroe accuses Dream, born Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant, of forcing her to have sex with him, alleging he claimed it “was ‘part of the process’ and he could only write hit songs for her if she agreed to let him know everything about her.”
She alleges he became “increasingly controlling” when she moved to Atlanta, demanding she “check in with him every day,” “be available to him whenever he called” and “depend only on him for anything she needed.”
Mangroe’s suit claims that when she eventually signed a contract with Contra Paris LLC and Epic, also named as defendants, the producer “repeatedly physically and sexually abused her” as she tried to complete her album, adding she lost her deal with Epic “because Dream failed to deliver the records.” She also accused the producer of forcing her to drink alcohol, raping her and strangling her, among other things.
Dream issued a statement to The New York Times, calling the allegations “untrue and defamatory.”
“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.”
If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.
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