"I am deeply offended and saddened by these accusations"- The-Dream issues response to trafficking lawsuit filed by Chanaaz Mangroe

The-Dream has been in the headlines after a woman named Chanaaz Mangroe sued him at the California federal court, accusing him of r*pe, s*xual battery, and trafficking. Apart from the rapper, the lawsuit also mentions the names of record labels including Contra Paris, LLC, and Epic Records.

Since the accusations came out, the artist spoke to The New York Times, claiming that the charges were "untrue and defamatory." He further stated:

"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."

The lawsuit has been filed in reference to California's S*xual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, which lets anyone bring s*xual assault cases irrespective of the culprit's age, and the time when they committed the crime. In another statement shared by Mangroe, she said:

"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. Ultimately, my silence has become too painful, and I realized that I need to tell my story to heal."

The lawsuit allegedly stated that The-Dream tried to have control over Mangroe's life and continuously pressured her into getting intimate on different occasions. The legal documents feature detailed information on the physical encounters and claims that the Rockingham, North Carolina native allegedly made her consume alcohol and marijuana.

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Lawsuit accusations and other details explained

Chanaaz Mangroe's lawsuit stated that she arrived in the US in 2014 and aimed to establish a successful career in the music industry. She was approached by The-Dream's associate the same year through social media to arrange a meeting with him in Atlanta in 2015.

During the meeting, The-Dream, also known as Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant, promised Chanaaz to help her reach the level of other artists such as Rihanna along with taking her on a tour with Beyonce. However, things took a different turn in 2015 as Terius reportedly started to force her into getting intimate with him on different occasions.

There is a particular incident mentioned in the lawsuit where The-Dream allegedly got intimate with her in a room despite her refusal near a recording studio and demanded she say that she loves him.

The lawsuit even claimed that Terius' behavior slowly became violent over the next few days as he reportedly choked Chanaaz. The legal documents mentioned that Chanaaz was screaming as she almost passed out at one point. The-Dream once made similar demands inside a movie theater and started showing controlling behavior towards Chanaaz. A portion of the lawsuit reads:

"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."

While she signed a deal with Contra Paris and Epic Records in 2015, the agreement was canceled the following year, as Chanaaz could not deliver any records. The lawsuit stated that the officials of both record labels knew about everything that happened with her but never took any action since they "facilitated the producer's alleged crimes by signing her."

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The-Dream has released seven albums in his career until now. He is additionally known for his singles such as Falsetto, Make Up Bag, Cedes Benz, and It's Yo Birthday.