A former protégé of The-Dream, a Grammy-winning writer and producer who has worked on mega-hits for the likes of Beyoncé and Rihanna, filed a lawsuit against The-Dream on Tuesday accusing him of sexual assault and other abuse.
Chanaz Mangloo, who performed under the stage name Channie Munroe, claims in the lawsuit that after she left her native Netherlands for the United States with hopes of making it big as a singer, The-Dream, whose real name is Terius Gestielde Diamant, lured her into “an abusive, violent and manipulative relationship riddled with physical assaults, violent sexual acts and horrific psychological manipulation.”
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Gesteelde Diamant, an eight-time Grammy Award winner and writer/producer of hit songs such as Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” denies the allegations.
Manglo, 33, says a representative from Gestilde Diamant contacted her on social media in 2014, asking her to send samples of her music, and then flew her to Atlanta early the following year, promising the producer would support her career.
The-Dream will perform at the 2024 Roots Picnic at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 1, 2024. (Kayla O’Adams/Getty Images)
According to the lawsuit, Gestilde Diamant began recording with Mangroe and told her he would make her the next Beyoncé and Rihanna, but she agreed to confide embarrassing personal details to him and to give him total control. He was married, but he told Mangroe they would become a famous couple who would win 10 Grammy Awards together, Mangroe says.
Ms. Mangroe alleges that for more than a year, Gestielde Diamant pressured her into taking excessive amounts of drugs and alcohol, forced her to engage in violent sexual acts beyond her consent, and sometimes raped her, locking her in a room for long periods of time. She says he was violently controlling, forced her to diet and exercise, and allowed her little contact with other people.
A representative for Gestielde Diamant did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment, but in a statement he told The New York Times the allegations were “untrue and defamatory.”
“I stand against harassment in all forms and have always been committed to helping people achieve their career goals,” the statement said. “As someone who is committed to making a positive impact on my fellow artists and the world at large, I am deeply outraged and saddened by these accusations.”
In her lawsuit, Mangroe claims that rather than helping her career, Gestilde Diamant forced her to terminate a record contract she had signed and destroyed it. She says the trauma has damaged her career, causing severe anxiety and depression, as well as financial losses. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, asks for damages to be determined at trial.
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“What Dream did to me made it impossible for me to live the life I envisioned or pursue my goals as a singer and songwriter,” Manglo said in a statement. “Eventually, remaining silent became too painful and I realized that in order to heal, I had to tell my story.”
The Associated Press typically does not publish the names of people who allege they were sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Mangroe did.
