Big hitmaker accused of raping his protégé

A music producer responsible for some of the biggest pop hits of the past two decades, including Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” has been hit with rape allegations. The-Dream, an eight-time Grammy winner who also worked on Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body,” is accused of rape and sexual assault by a former protégé in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles, according to the New York TimesChanaaz Mangroe, who performed under the name Channii Monroe, claims that The-Dream lured her into “an abusive, violent and manipulative relationship filled with physical assault, violent sexual encounters and horrific psychological manipulation,” according to AP.

He reportedly promised to make Mangroe, 33, “the next Beyoncé and Rihanna,” according to NPR. But “what Dream did to me made it impossible to live the life I envisioned and pursue my goals as a singer and songwriter,” Mangroe says in a statement. She claims The-Dream, whose real name is Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, repeatedly raped her, often placing a gun next to her as a sort of warning; refusing to use a condom despite her protests; locking her in a dark room; recording a video of an intimate encounter that he threatened to show others; forcing her to consume drugs and alcohol; and having security guards monitor her as part of an abusive relationship that began in 2015. The lawsuit also accuses Gesteelde-Diamant of sex trafficking.

Mangroe claims to have reported the abuse to Epic Records, with whom she had a distribution deal, but a manager allegedly told her she had to work with The-Dream anyway. The label, which was named as a defendant in her complaint, later dropped her. “Ultimately, my silence became too painful and I realized that I need to tell my story in order to heal,” Mangroe says, adding that she hopes to “help others and prevent future horrific abuse.” In 2014, Gesteelde-Diamant was charged with assaulting an ex-girlfriend who was eight months pregnant, though the charges were later dropped, according to the Just. He says he is “deeply offended and saddened” by the latest allegations, which he calls “untrue and defamatory.” (More sexual abuse stories.)