Grammy Award winner The-Dream accused of rape in Los Angeles

Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter The-Dream has been accused of rape and sexual assault, according to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles.

Terius Gestilde-Diamant, 47, was named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed Tuesday by his former pupil Chanaz Mangro, who performed under the name Channie Monroe.

According to the lawsuit, Ms. Mangro said Mr. Gesteld-Diamant repeatedly forced her to have sex, choked her and at one point even made a video of the intimate relationship and threatened to show it to others.

Mr Gesteld-Diamant, who has written songs for Beyoncé, Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Mariah Carey, has denied the allegations.

According to the 60-page lawsuit seen by the BBC, Ms Mangro is seeking damages for “lost wages” and “mental anguish, suffering and severe emotional distress”.

Ms. Mangro, who is originally from the Netherlands and who worked in the United States hoping to find success as a singer and songwriter, says in the lawsuit that she first met Mr. Gestilde-Diamant in January 2015.

The 33-year-old woman has alleged that he had “violent sex” with her, leaving her injured; forced her to drink “excessive amounts of alcohol”; choked her, causing her to “almost pass out”, forced her to perform sex acts in a movie theater and raped her in a renovated Sprinter van.

She also says that he told her that he would make her the next Beyoncé and Rihanna.

Ms. Mangro claims that within a few days of that initial meeting, Mr. Gestilde-Diamant began pressuring her to have sex, telling her it was “part of the process,” the lawsuit claims.

The 33-year-old says he locked her in a dark room and “only stopped having aggressive sex with her when she said she loved him”.

Ms. Mangro alleges in the suit that the unwanted sexual advances continued even as Mr. Gesteld-Diamant made promises to her, such as suggesting that he could arrange for her to perform as the opening act on Beyoncé’s next tour and at the Grammys.

In a statement provided to the BBC by her legal team, Ms Mangro said deciding to speak out had “been the most difficult decision of my life”.

“But ultimately, what Dream did to me made it impossible for me to live the life I imagined and achieve my goals as a singer and songwriter.

“Eventually, my silence became too painful, and I realized I had to tell my story.

“I hope doing so will help others and prevent terrible abuse in the future.”

Mr. Gesteld-Diamant has won eight Grammy Awards and is nominated for the newly created category of Songwriter of the Year at the 65th Grammy Awards in February 2023.

In a statement provided to The New York Times by a representative for Mr. Gesteld-Diamant, he said the claims were “untrue and defamatory.”

“I oppose all forms of harassment and have always strived to help people achieve their career goals,” the statement said.

“As someone committed to making a positive impact on my fellow artists and the world at large, I am deeply hurt and saddened by these allegations.”