The-Dream, songwriter and producer, requests dismissal of sexual assault lawsuit

Lawyers representing The-Dream, Grammy-winning songwriter and producer, are pushing for the dismissal of a woman’s lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault and other abusive behavior. The music producer, legally named Terius Gesteelde-Diamant and known for his work on hits by Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, and Rihanna, has refuted the allegations of sexual assault, rape, and abuse brought against him by singer Chanaaz Mangroe in a lawsuit filed in June.

Gesteelde-Diamant’s legal team has filed a motion in a Los Angeles federal court seeking the complete dismissal of the lawsuit. The motion claims that Mangroe’s lawyers are using the legal system to spread false and defamatory information about Diamant, a respected Black artist in the music industry, for their own financial benefit and to his severe disadvantage.

Mangroe, performing under the name Channii Monroe, alleged in the lawsuit that Gesteelde-Diamant drew her into a harmful and manipulative relationship full of physical assaults, violent sexual encounters, and severe psychological manipulation after she moved from the Netherlands to the U.S. with aspirations of a music career.

The motion also aims to dismiss or challenge the lawsuit’s rape accusation based on technicalities. Desirée F. Moore, representing Gesteelde-Diamant and his company, argues that the lawsuit is a “shotgun pleading,” lacking specific factual allegations against each defendant, which could warrant dismissal.

In response, Meredith Firetog, one of Mangroe’s attorneys, criticized the motion to dismiss as “wholly unpersuasive” and expressed eagerness to oppose the motions and proceed with the case. If the case proceeds, Gesteelde-Diamant’s legal team seeks to have certain parts of the complaint removed, considering them irrelevant and scandalous, and also calls for the dismissal of his co-owned company, Contra Paris, LLC, as it primarily operates in Atlanta and is registered in Delaware.

It is noted that unless individuals publicly disclose their claims of sexual abuse, the Associated Press usually refrains from naming them.