Grammy award-winning producer and songwriter The-Dream, whose real name is Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, is seeking to dismiss large portions of a sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by Chanaaz Mangroe, a former protégé who performed under the name Channii Monroe. Mangroe accused The-Dream of rape and sexual battery in June, claims which the 47-year-old artist vehemently denies.
On Friday, The-Dream’s legal team submitted a motion to have the case partially dismissed, describing Mangroe’s lawsuit as a “textbook example of a ‘shotgun pleading.'” This legal term refers to a complaint that presents numerous allegations without providing sufficient detail to allow the other party to respond appropriately. In court documents obtained by the media, The-Dream’s lawyers argued that several paragraphs in Mangroe’s complaint are “immaterial” and “scandalous.”
Hitmaking music producer The-Dream blasts rape allegations from former protégé Chanaaz Mangroe as ‘utterly irrelevant’
via https://t.co/ukePCFr1gS https://t.co/M0gPywaD9g— MSM is Pravda (@RitchieJodi) August 17, 2024
The motion seeks to dismiss the rape claim on the grounds that rape is not recognized as a separate civil cause of action under California law. Additionally, The-Dream’s legal representatives challenged the validity of the sex trafficking claim, stating that it does not include necessary elements such as a “commercial sex act.” The motion also requests the removal of The-Dream’s label, Contra Paris, LLC, from the lawsuit, citing the label’s lack of personal jurisdiction in California.
Desirée F. Moore, an attorney representing The-Dream, stated, “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.” She further accused Mangroe of including irrelevant allegations designed solely to tarnish The-Dream’s reputation.
Mangroe’s lawsuit, which spans 60 pages, alleges that The-Dream repeatedly coerced her into sexual acts, physically abused her, and, on one occasion, filmed an intimate encounter and threatened to show it to others. The lawsuit seeks damages for “lost wages” and “mental pain and anguish and severe emotional distress.”
Mangroe, originally from the Netherlands, claims she first met The-Dream in January 2015 while working in the U.S. in hopes of launching her career as a singer and songwriter. She alleges that The-Dream subjected her to violent sexual encounters that left her bruised and forced her to drink excessive amounts of alcohol. According to Mangroe, The-Dream promised to make her the next Beyoncé or Rihanna and pressured her into sexual acts, telling her it was “part of the process.”
The-Dream, who has won eight Grammy Awards and has worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Justin Bieber, has strongly denied the allegations. In a statement provided to the New York Times in June, he called the claims “untrue and defamatory” and expressed his deep offense at the accusations.
The-Dream Files Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit Against Him by Former Protégée Alleging Rape, Sex Trafficking and Assault
In June, singer-producer Chanaaz Mangroe accused The-Dream of luring her into an “abusive, violent….#singerhttps://t.co/cekbeVWD1g
— 🆇 News Hub (@xnewshub83) August 16, 2024
A representative for Mangroe told the BBC, “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.”
The legal battle continues as both sides prepare for the next steps in the case.
Key Points:
i. Grammy-winning producer The-Dream, born Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, is seeking to have parts of a sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by former protégé Chanaaz Mangroe dismissed.
ii. Mangroe, who performed as Channii Monroe, alleges that The-Dream subjected her to multiple instances of sexual assault, including rape and sexual battery.
iii. The-Dream’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss parts of the case, calling the claims a “shotgun pleading,” and argued that some allegations, including rape, are not valid civil causes under California law.
iv. The lawsuit, filed in June, details alleged violent sexual encounters and emotional distress, with Mangroe seeking damages for lost wages and severe emotional distress.
v. The-Dream has denied all allegations, calling them “untrue and defamatory,” while Mangroe’s representatives remain committed to opposing the motions and proceeding with the case.
Conner T – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
