What are the allegations against The-Dream? Singer files motion to dismiss assault lawsuit filed by former Protégée

Falsetto hitmaker The-Dream filed a motion to dismiss and strike parts of a s*xual assault lawsuit filed by his former protégée Chanaaz Mangroe. Chanaaz Mangroe filed the s*xual assault lawsuit against the singer and producer in early June of this year.

Mangroe accused the producer of s*xual and physical assault. Mangroe claimed that the singer put her in abusive situations by promising her a path to stardom. The producer's legal response filed on Friday, August 16 at the California federal court, alleges that Mangroe's filing contained dozens of allegations irrelevant to her s*xual battery and trafficking claims.

The-Dream's motion to dismiss alleges that the filing propagated destructive racial stereotypes against The-Dream. The filing also wanted the producer's label Contra Paris, LLC removed from the lawsuit.

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"I realized that I need to tell my story to heal": Chanaaz Mangroe on her filing against The-Dream

Chanaaz Mangroe also known as Channii Monroe filed a lawsuit against Grammy-winning producer and singer-songwriter, Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant, professionally known as The-Dream, on June 4 of this year. Mangroe alleged that back in 2014, an associate of The-Dream got in touch with her and requested samples of her music.

Mangroe claimed in the lawsuit that in 2015, she was flown to Atlanta by the producer who allegedly told her that he could make her the next Beyoncé and Rihanna. However, this was on the condition that she shared all her embarrassing details with him and allowed him complete control over her life.

The lawsuit alleged that Mangroe was forced to excessively drink and use drugs by the producer who also allegedly had violent s*x with her without consent, kept her in a locked room for long periods, raped her, and was also violently controlling over different aspects of her life.

According to the lawsuit, the producer allegedly manipulated Mangroe into an "abusive, violent, and manipulative relationship". The Netherlands native said in a statement at the time, as reported by Variety on August 16, 2024:

"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,"

She added:

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

The-Dream is firing back at Chanaaz Mangroe's lawsuit against him by filing a motion to dismiss and strike out parts of the lawsuit on Saturday. Court documents from the filing requested a plethora of alterations to Mangroe's filing.

The producer's filing wanted his company Contra Paris, LLC omitted from the suit due to its operations being in Delaware and therefore not having personal jurisdiction in California.

The 46-year-old producer's attorney Desirée F. Moore alleged that Mangroe's filing should be dismissed entirely for "failing to attribute specific factual allegations to each defendant". Moore also called the complaint a textbook example of "shotgun pleading". Moore was quoted by Variety as stating:

"Plaintiff’s Complaint contains dozens of allegations that are utterly irrelevant to her s*xual battery and s*x trafficking claims and are, instead, designed solely to smear Diamant’s name and reputation."

Moore also alleged that before the complaint raised a single relevant allegation, it dedicated "several pages" to "irrelevant gossip" which was allegedly designated to harm the producer's children and marital history.

These included unsubstantiated allegations of past violence, false depictions of an absent father, and allegations that the producer was affiliated with a street gang which Moore deemed racist.

The singer's legal team is looking forward to striking out Mangroe's rape claim as under California law, it was not a separate civil cause of action. Moreover, the singer's legal team was also looking forward to erasing 300 paragraphs of Magroe's filing which they alleged as being out of context and irrelevant.

The filing alleged that Mangroe and her legal team were taking advantage of the judicial system to "propagate a false and defamatory narrative" about The-Dream for their own financial gain and his extreme detriment. The lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff manipulated the press and legal system to force a settlement.

The filing alleged that it was Mangroe who pursued The-Dream for unilaterally soliciting s*x, writing, and other favors. It also alleged that there was no non-consensual s*x between Mangroe and the producer. It further claimed that Mangroe continued to pursue Dream after the latter ended their relationship.

The filing further called for the removal of the s*x trafficking complaint against the producer due to the absence of facts showcasing the plaintiff's involvement in a commercial s*x act.

In response to the filing, Mangroe's counsel was quoted by Variety as stating that the filing was "wholly unpersuasive." The counsel also looked forward to opposing the motions and proceeding to discovery.