The-Dream, long-time Grammy winner and collaborator of Beyoncé, is being sued by ex-protégé for alleged sexual abuse

Music producer The-Dream is being sued by a former employee who claims she was sexually abused by the eight-time Grammy Award winner after he promised to support her in her career as an aspiring young artist.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in Los Angeles, accuses The-Dream, whose real name is Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, of subjecting 33-year-old Chanaaz Mangroe to “violent sexual acts and vicious psychological torture” after an associate of the producer allegedly contacted Mangroe via Instagram in late 2014, when she was 23 years old.

Mangroe, a singer from the Netherlands whose stage name is Channii Monroe, said she first met The-Dream – the songwriter behind hits such as Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” and Justin Bieber’s “Baby” – while living in the United States on an artist visa sponsored by a U.S. production company.

According to the lawsuit, the producer told Mangroe at the beginning of their professional relationship that he would write hits for her and promised her a spot as the opening act on Beyoncé’s upcoming tour. Mangroe’s lawsuit alleges that she was forced to “excessively diet and exercise” in preparation for the tour and that she was subjected to an “abusive, violent and manipulative relationship” with the producer.

Mangroe claims in her lawsuit that she was not paid for her music, which she says was “taken away from her without any explanation.”

“To this day, Ms. Mangroe remains in the dark as to whether she is still bound to Dream and Contra Paris, who owns the rights to her music, or where the recordings of her works are located,” the lawsuit states.

In a statement to the New York Times, the producer denied the allegations against him.

“These allegations are untrue and defamatory,” the statement to the Times said. “I oppose all forms of harassment and have always tried to help people achieve their career goals. As someone who is committed to making a positive impact on my fellow artists and the world at large, I am deeply offended and saddened by these allegations.”

In addition to The-Dream, The-Dream’s label Contra Paris and Epic Records are also named as defendants in the lawsuit. Epic Records did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“It is not clear whether Contra Paris ever signed artists to its label (other than Ms. Mangroe) or whether the label released any records,” the lawsuit states. “Today, Contra Paris’ website appears to be partially down.”

Mangroe claims in the lawsuit that in July 2016, more than a year after she met The-Dream, she was told that Epic Records “no longer wanted to distribute her music because Dream was not delivering the records.” She claims in her lawsuit that The-Dream kept her in the dark for months, failed to invite her to meetings, and failed to include her in conversations about her music or her status at Epic.

According to the lawsuit, Mangroe decided to file the lawsuit to “stand up for herself and other female artists who have been tormented by powerful and selfish men in the recording industry.”