LOS ANGELES — Lawyers for The-Dream, a Grammy-winning songwriter and producer, are seeking the dismissal of the lawsuit from a woman who accused him of sexual assault and other abuse.
The producer, whose legal name is Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, was a writer and producer of major hits including Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)’, Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’ and Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’. He has denied allegations of sexual assault, rape and other abuse made in a June lawsuit by singer Chanaaz Mangroe.
Steelde-Diamant’s attorneys want the lawsuit dismissed entirely, writing in their motion filed Friday in a federal court in Los Angeles that Mangroe’s attorneys are “using the legal system to promote a false and defamatory story about Diamant , a highly respected black musician in the US. the art industry, for their own financial gain and to its utmost detriment.”
Mangroe, who performed under the stage name Channii Monroe, alleged in the June lawsuit that Stealth-Diamant lured her into “an abusive, violent and manipulative relationship filled with physical assaults, violent sexual encounters and horrific psychological manipulation” after leaving her. born in the Netherlands for the US with the hope of making it big as a singer.
The motion also seeks to dismiss or, alternatively, withdraw on technical grounds the rape claim in the lawsuit.
In a statement Friday, Desirée F. Moore, who represents Gesteelde-Diamant and his company, argued that the lawsuit is a “shotgun plea,” which she said is grounds for dismissal because it does not specify specific factual allegations against each defendant.
Meredith Firetog, one of the attorneys representing Mangroe, said in an email to The Associated Press on Friday that the arguments in the motion to dismiss are “completely unpersuasive.”
“We look forward to opposing the motions” and moving forward with the case, Firetog said.
If the case is not dismissed, Gesteelde-Diamant’s lawyers want a judge to delete parts of the complaint that they deem “inadmissibly immaterial, impertinent and scandalous material.” They also want the company he co-owns, Contra Paris, LLC, fired because it does business primarily in Atlanta and is registered in Delaware.
The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Mangroe has done.
