Singer-songwriter and producer The-Dream has filed to dismiss his former protégée’s rape and sexual battery lawsuit, calling the suit “false and defamatory.”
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In June, we previously shared that the famed musician was facing serious allegations after the New York Times reported that his former protégée Chanaaz Mangroe (who performed as Channii Monroe) accused The-Dream of rape, sexual battery, and sex trafficking.
In the June 4-filed lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Mangroe claimed that in 2015, The-Dream — whose full name is Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant (né Youngdell Nash) — used promises of career promotion to manipulate Mangroe into an abusive relationship. She alleged that he repeatedly forced her to engage in non-consensual sexual acts, including strangulation, and even recorded an intimate encounter without her consent, threatening to share it with others.
Per Mangroe’s lawsuit, The-Dream, 46, is portrayed as a controlling and abusive figure, using his power to manipulate and exploit aspiring artists. Mangroe, 33, continued to allege that the “Falsetto” singer coerced her into unwanted sexual encounters while making false promises about advancing her career, such as suggesting that she could become the opening act for one of Beyoncé’s tours.
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Just months after the lawsuit made headlines, new court documents reviewed by Variety now reveal that the singer’s legal team has filed for numerous amendments to Mangroe’s lawsuit. It’s reported that The-Dream’s legal team attempted to resolve the matter earlier this month, but was unable to reach an agreement, leading to the new filing — which seeks to strike the rape claim in the lawsuit, noting that it’s not a separate civil cause of action under California law.
The-Dream’s legal team claims that 300 paragraphs detailing alleged acts are “irrelevant” or “intentionally out-of-context.” The-Dream’s legal team also argues that Mangroe’s sex trafficking allegations fail to allege required constituents like a “commercial sex act.” Therefore, the singer’s lawyers want his label Contra Paris, LLC., which is based in Delaware, to be removed from the lawsuit as there is a lack of personal jurisdiction in California.
The-Dream’s legal team also argues that there was never non-consensual sex or abuse between their client and his former protégée. They deny her claims, countering that she was the one who initiated a sexual relationship and after it mutually ended, she reputedly continued to pursue him.
In a statement, The-Dream’s attorney Desirée F. Moore said, “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. Plaintiff’s Complaint contains dozens of allegations that are utterly irrelevant to her sexual battery and sex trafficking claims and are, instead, designed solely to smear Diamant’s name and reputation.”
The singer’s legal team further claims that his former protégée and her lawyer “are using the judicial system to propagate a false and defamatory narrative about Diamant, a highly-respected Black musician in the arts industry, for their own financial gain and to his extreme detriment—and to the destruction of everything he has ever done as a musician and as a Black figure that the current and new art generations look up to.”
They also accuse Mangroe’s lawyer of manipulating the media and legal system, forcing them into a settlement, despite them claiming that their client has a long history of advocating for women and women’s causes. Responding to The-Dream’s new motion, his former protégée’s lawyer stated, “The-Dream’s arguments seeking to dismiss Plaintiff’s allegations are wholly unpersuasive. We look forward to opposing the motions and proceeding to discovery in this case.”
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