ON BACKGROUND:
On June 4th, 2024, Wigdor LLP filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Chanaaz Mangroe against Terius (“The-Dream”) Gesteelde-Diamant; Contra Paris, LLC; and Epic Records. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, alleges that Ms. Mangroe was trafficked under the guise of a legitimate recording and distribution contract into an abusive, violent, and manipulative relationship filled with physical assaults, violent sexual encounters, and horrific psychological manipulation.
In 2012, at just 21 years old, Ms. Mangroe, who was raised in the Netherlands, was granted a three-year O-1B visa reserved for individuals with extraordinary ability to work in the United States as a songwriter. As her three-year visa term was coming to an end, Ms. Mangroe was exploring other opportunities to expand from songwriting into performing when Dream’s childhood friend contacted her via social media and asked her to send him music to share with Dream’s manager. Ms. Mangroe was understandably thrilled at the opportunity. Almost immediately after hearing her music, Dream’s team asked Ms. Mangroe to meet with Dream in person and record, which she happily agreed to do. She believed it was going to be a life-changing moment in her life.
And it was—but for all the wrong reasons. Instead starting her recording career, Dream lured the 23-year-old Ms. Mangroe into his deeply sadistic world. As the Complaint describes, in both Los Angeles and Atlanta, Dream used his age and influence to manipulate, coerce and control Ms. Mangroe, including telling her repeatedly that she could be part of a special “sanctuary” relationship with him like he had with Beyonce and Rihanna if she did everything he said; offering her lofty visions of recording and publishing contracts with major labels; promising her she would open for Beyonce’s upcoming tour; and promising her that he would sponsor the extension of her international visa. Within a few days, Dream told Ms. Mangroe that she was his wife through art, that he loved her, and that he would always protect her.
He did the exact opposite. In reality, Dream controlled all aspects of Ms. Mangroe’s stay in the United States, including where she could live, who she could speak to, what she could eat, and where she could go. He subjected Ms. Mangroe to violent sexual encounters that left her badly bruised; forced her to drink excessive amounts of alcohol by physically pulling her head back and pouring alcohol down her throat; strangled and choked her to point of almost losing consciousness; raped her in the back of a sprinter van on the same night he forced her to engage in sex acts in a public movie theater; and recorded her during sexual acts to threaten her into silence.
Dream’s depraved behavior was facilitated by his record label, Contra Paris LLC, as well as Epic Records—the label Dream convinced to invest in Ms. Mangroe, which stood by and did nothing despite both witnessing and being told about Dream’s abuse. As a result of Dream’s heinous acts, Ms. Mangroe’s career was destroyed—her music was taken away from her without explanation, Contra Paris never provided her any compensation, and every attempt to revive her career has been hijacked by Dream and those who support him.
Ms. Mangroe is represented by attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor, Meredith A. Firetog, and Monica Hincken of Wigdor LLP, and Omar H. Bengali of Girard Bengali, APC.
To read the full complaint, click here.
ON THE RECORD:
Statement from Douglas H. Wigdor and Meredith Firetog, Partners of Wigdor LLP:
“This is yet another horrific example of how men in the music industry use their power and influence to manipulate and harm others. Dream, like Sean Combs did with Ms. Ventura and others, 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. We are honored to represent her.”
Statement from Chanaaz Mangroe (p/k/a Channii Monroe):
“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. 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.”
Media Coverage: