Dutch singer Channii Monroe accuses songwriter The-Dream of rape, sextortion
The Dutch singer Chanaaz Mangroe, who performs as Channii Monroe, has filed a lawsuit against singer-songwriter The-Dream, accusing him of rape, sextortion, and years of abuse. The man, real name Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant, repeatedly forced her to have sex, strangled her, secretly recorded sexual encounters with her, and blackmailed her with the footage.
Mangroe is seeking damages for lost income and “mental pain and anguish and severe emotional distress.” She said that Gesteelde-Diamant told her “he would make her the next Beyoncé and Rihanna” but began pressuring her for sex within days of their initial meeting in January 2015, telling her it was “part of the process.”
The lawsuit states that Gesteelde-Diamant subjected Mangroe to “violent sexual encounters” that often left her badly bruised, forced her to drink “excessive amounts of alcohol” by pulling her head back and pouring it down her throat, strangled her to the brink of unconsciousness, and repeatedly raped her in a renovated van. He locked her in a dark room and “would only stop aggressively having sex with her once she said that she loved him.”
The lawsuit also alleges that record labels Contra Paris LLC and Epic Records facilitated Gesteelde-Diamant’s sexual violence by failing to intervene despite witnessing and knowing about the crimes. Contra Paris never compensated Mangroe for her music, and every attempt to relaunch her career has been hijacked by Gesteelde-Diamant and those who support him, the lawsuit states.
In a statement released by her lawyer, Mangroe said that choosing to speak out has been “one of the most difficult decisions” of her 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. My silence has become too painful,” she said. She hopes that her coming forward “will also help others and prevent future horrific abuse.”
“This is yet another horrific example of how men in the music industry use their power and influence to manipulate and harm others,” her lawyers said. “Dream used his standing as a prominent recording artist and producer to subject Ms. Mangroe to vicious physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. While she will never fully recover from what he and those who supported him did to her, her willingness to speak out now is evidence of her extraordinary strength.”
Gesteelde-Diamant denied the allegations against him in a statement to the New York Times. "I oppose all forms of harassment and have always strived to help people realize their career goals," he said. "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.”
