LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Lawyers for The-Dream, a songwriter and producer, are seeking the dismissal of a woman鈥檚 lawsuit that accused him of sexual assault and other abuse.
The producer, whose legal name is Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, was a writer and producer on huge hits including Beyonc茅鈥檚 鈥淪ingle Ladies (Put a Ring on It),鈥� Justin Bieber鈥檚 鈥淏aby鈥� and Rihanna鈥檚 鈥淯mbrella.鈥� He has denied allegations of sexual assault, rape and other abuse made in a by singer Chanaaz Mangroe.
Gesteelde-Diamant's lawyers want the suit to be thrown out entirely, writing in their motion filed Friday in a Los Angeles federal court that Mangroe鈥檚 lawyers are 鈥渦sing the judicial system to propagate a false and defamatory narrative about Diamant, a highly respected Black musician in the arts industry, for their own financial gain and to his extreme detriment.鈥�
Mangroe, who performed under the stage name Channii Monroe, alleged in the June lawsuit that Gesteelde-Diamant lured her into 鈥渁n abusive, violent, and manipulative relationship filled with physical assaults, violent sexual encounters, and horrific psychological manipulation鈥� after she left her native Netherlands for the U.S. with hopes of making it big as a singer.
The motion also aims to dismiss or, alternatively, strike the lawsuit鈥檚 rape claim, on technical grounds.
In a statement Friday, Desir茅e F. Moore, who is representing Gesteelde-Diamant and his company, argued the lawsuit is a 鈥渟hotgun pleading,鈥� which she says is grounds for dismissal because it doesn't specify specific factual allegations against each defendant.
Meredith Firetog, one of the lawyers representing Mangroe, said in an email to The Associated Press Friday that the arguments made in the motion to dismiss are 鈥渨holly unpersuasive.鈥�
鈥淲e look forward to opposing the motions" and proceeding with the case, Firetog said.
If the case isn鈥檛 dismissed, Gesteelde-Diamant鈥檚 lawyers want a judge to strike portions of the complaint they deemed 鈥渋mpermissibly immaterial, impertinent, and scandalous material.鈥� They also want the company he co-owns, Contra Paris, LLC, dismissed because it primarily does business in Atlanta and is registered in Delaware.
The Associated Press doesn鈥檛 typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Mangroe has.
Kaitlyn Huamani, The Associated Press
