A woman who accused music producer The-Dream of rape and sex trafficking says he told her he knew about Beyonce’s pregnancy before Jay Z did.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday, June 4, on behalf of Chanaaz Mangroe against Terius Nash (“Dream”).
Mangroe, who was raised in the Netherlands, met Dream in 2012 at age 21. She was in the U.S. on a three-year O-1B visa to work as a songwriter.
Dream, who produced hits for Beyonce and Rihanna, used his celebrity connections to woo Mangroe.
The lawsuit details Dream’s attempts to manipulate Mangroe. He allegedly said Ms. Mangroe needed to “belong” to him so they could become the next “Bey and Jay,” in reference to Beyonce and Jay-Z.
“Dream knew how much Ms. Mangroe loved and admired Beyonce as an artist. He regularly used Ms. Mangroe’s admiration for Beyonce as a way to manipulate Ms. Mangroe, telling her that the only reason he achieved such great success with Beyonce is because they created a “sanctuary” together, which allowed him to know Beyonce in a way that others could not and, consequently, he could write the best songs for her.”
“Dream explained that a “sanctuary” was even stronger than a spousal connection because it was about “art.” Being part of a “sanctuary” with Dream meant that Ms. Mangroe was required to disclose all of her secrets and thoughts and become “trust partners” with him. He said that his relationship with Beyonce was so close that he knew about Beyonce’s pregnancy before her husband, Jay-Z.”
The complaint also alleges that Dream exerted control over Mangroe by forcing her to “check in” with him daily whenever they were apart.
“Dream became increasingly controlling after Ms. Mangroe moved to Atlanta. He told Ms. Mangroe that she needed to check in with him every day, she needed to be available to him whenever he called, and that she should depend only on him for anything she needed.”
On or around March 14, 2015, Dream left Atlanta to handle work obligations elsewhere. Ms. Mangroe wished him a safe flight before he took off but when she did not text him the following day, Dream texted her: “U know damn well u need to check in.”
During the next few days, Ms. Mangroe made sure to say hello or good morning. When she missed one day on or around March 21, 2015, Dream texted her: “Ure not checking in.” Ms. Mangroe responded that she had checked in with Garland every day, as she was required to do.
On the following day, Dream texted Ms. Mangroe to say: “My international wife. I think it’s time for me to hit that pu**y. When are you having my baby. 2023.” When Ms. Mangroe did not immediately respond, Dream texted, “Ure ignoring me now.”
“In both Los Angeles and Atlanta, Dream used his age and influence to manipulate, coerce and control Ms. Mangroe, including telling her repeatedly that she could be part of a special “sanctuary” relationship with him like he had with Beyonce and Rihanna if she did everything he said.
He allegedly promised that she would open for Beyonce’s tour; and that he would sponsor the extension of her international visa.
“Within a few days, Dream told Ms. Mangroe that she was his wife through art, that he loved her, and that he would always protect her,” the lawsuit read.
He did the exact opposite, according to the lawsuit. “In reality, Dream controlled all aspects of Ms. Mangroe’s stay in the United States, including where she could live, who she could speak to, what she could eat, and where she could go.”
The complaint states that Dream “subjected Ms. Mangroe to violent sexual encounters that left her badly bruised; forced her to drink excessive amounts of alcohol by physically pulling her head back and pouring alcohol down her throat; strangled and choked her to point of almost losing consciousness; raped her in the back of a sprinter van on the same night he forced her to engage in sex acts in a public movie theater; and recorded her during sexual acts to threaten her into silence.”
Ms. Mangroe is represented by Douglas H. Wigdor and Meredith A. Firetog, who also represented Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in a lawsuit against Sean Combs. That lawsuit was settled in November, a day after it was filed.
“This is yet another horrific example of how men in the music industry use their power and influence to manipulate and harm others,” Wigdor and Firetog said in a statement.
Read the Complaint below.
