Music producer The-Dream, hitmaker for Beyonce and Rihanna, is accused of rape and sex trafficking in a new lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday, June 4, on behalf of Chanaaz Mangroe against Terius (“The-Dream”), Epic Records and other named defendants.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleges that Ms. Mangroe was trafficked under the guise of a legitimate recording and distribution contract.
The complaint alleges The-Dream subjected her to “an abusive, violent, and manipulative relationship filled with physical assaults, violent sexual encounters, and horrific psychological manipulation.”
According to court documents, in 2012, at just 21 years old, Ms. Mangroe, who was raised in the Netherlands, was granted a three-year O-1B visa to work in the United States as a songwriter.
As her three-year visa term was coming to an end, The-Dream’s childhood friend contacted Mangroe via social media and asked her to send him music to share with Dream’s manager.
Dream’s team then asked Ms. Mangroe to meet with Dream in person and record music.
However, according to the complaint, “Dream lured the 23-year-old Ms. Mangroe into his deeply sadistic world.”
“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.
In a statement via her attorneys, Ms. Mangroe said:
“Choosing to speak out about the trauma I survived has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life, but ultimately, 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.”
