The-Dream Accused of Sexual Assault and Sex Trafficking

The Dream, real name Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, is the latest star to be accused of sexual misconduct. In addition to writing and producing hits for the likes of Beyoncé and Rihanna, he’s also had his own successful solo career with singles like “Shawty Is a 10” and “Throw It In the Bag.” He was formerly married to singers Christina Milian and Nivea, each of whom he shares children with. 

Now, his former protégée, a woman named Chanaaz Mangroe, who performed under the moniker Channii Monroe, says in her suit that in 2015, he used a potential career in the industry to lure her into an abusive relationship in which he repeatedly forced her to have sex, strangled her and once made a video recording of an intimate encounter, per The New York Times.

The Dream is also accused of sex trafficking. The lawsuit was filed under the Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, a California law that allows people to bring sexual assault cases despite the statute of limitations expiring. 

“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,” she said in a statement. “Ultimately, my silence has become too painful, and I realized that I need to tell my story to heal. I hope that doing so will also help others and prevent future horrific abuse.”

The Dream denies the accusations. “These claims are untrue and defamatory,” he said in the statement. “I oppose all forms of harassment and have always strived to help people realize their career goals. As someone committed to making a positive impact on my fellow artists and the world at large, I am deeply offended and saddened by these accusations.”

Born in The Netherlands, she was working in the United States in late 2014 when she says she was asked to send samples of her music to The Dream.  In January 2015, she says she flew to Atlanta to meet The Dream. They went to a strip club where he reportedly began recording her and “told her that he would make her the next Beyoncé and she says just days later, she was coerced into having sex with him, with him telling her it was “part of the process.” At a house with a studio where they were working, she accuses him of locking her in a dark room and “would only stop aggressively having sex with her once she said that she loved him.”

She says the forced sex continued. At one point, she says he promised her that he would make her the opening act for Beyoncé’s next tour.

As time went on, she claims The Dream became controlling of her every move had his security staff monitor her movements, and forced her to check in with him at all times. She even claimed the hotel she stayed in was infested with bedbugs. When she complained, she claimed she was called a “brat.”

She also alleges he kept her high on drugs and alcohol and threatened to show their recorded sexual encounters to others. During the encounters, she said there were times when The Dream would often place a gun next to her, which she believed to be a threat.

She lists several other forced encounters, including oral sex and penetration in a movie theater. Eventually, she says she was signed to his label, Contra Paris, and he arranged for a distribution deal for her with Epic Records, a major label owned by Sony. But after the continued abuse, she says she wanted out. Instead, she says she was forced back by his executives.

This is not the first time a woman has come forward with abuse allegations. In 2014, he was charged with assault on allegations that he kicked, punched, and choked a former girlfriend who was eight months pregnant. The charges were dropped the following year.