Grammy-Winning Beyoncé, Rihanna, And Bieber Producer Accused Of Rape

LOS ANGELES, CA — Eight-time Grammy Award winner Terius "The- Dream" Gesteelde-Diamant, famed for his work with Beyoncé, Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Ye, is being sued by a woman accusing him of luring her with promises of fame only to rape, strangle and psychologically abuse her. Gesteelde-Diamant has denied the claims outlined in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles by songwriter Chanaaz Mangroe.

Mangroe, known as Channii Monroe, claims she was 23-years-old in 2014 when she became involved with Gesteelde-Diamant. The civil suit filed in L.A. federal court of accuses Gesteelde-Diamant of "sex trafficking," making him the second major Hip Hop and R & B figure accused of trafficking in recent weeks. Music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs is facing similar allegations.

Similarly, it's Gesteelde-Diamant's status as a star-maker that enabled him to commit abuse, according to the lawsuit.

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Mangroe, who says she lived in Los Angeles at the time, contends that the producer-songwriter lured her into an abusive, violent and manipulative relationship as his protégé. She is seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial.

“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,” Mangroe said in a statement to The New York Times. “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.”

Gesteelde-Diamant also issued a statement to the Times, denying the allegations.

“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.”

Mangroe is seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial. Along with Gesteelde-Diamant, defendants include the record label Epic Records and the producer's Contra Paris company.

According to the suit Gesteelde-Diamant, who took Mangroe to a strip club, and “told her that he would make her the next Beyoncé and Rihanna.”

But he quickly began pressuring her for sex, contending it was part of the process, the suit alleges.

Mangroe alleges Gesteelde-Diamant, now 46, subjected her to "violent sexual encounters that left her badly bruised," forced her into drinking "excessive amounts of alcohol," strangled her to the point of "almost losing consciousness," forced her into sexual acts in a movie theater and raped her in a van, according to the 60-page complaint.

Gesteelde-Diamant signed Mangroe to his record label and arranged for a distribution deal with Epic Records owned by Sony, the Times reported. The suit alleges Mangroe reported the abuse to an Epic executive as she tried to get out of the relationship but was discouraged from doing so.

Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Gesteelde-Diamant has been nominated 21 times for Grammys, winning eight trophies. He helped create a long string of hits, including Rihanna's "Umbrella," Justin Bieber's "Baby" and Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body." He is credited as a writer and producer of the Beyoncé chart-toppers "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Break My Soul."

Mangroe, who was born and started her career in The Netherlands, is being represented by lawyers from the same firm that represented Casandra "Cassie" Ventura in her since-settled lawsuit against Combs.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.