The-Dream Sued by Former Protégée for Alleged Rape, Sex Trafficking and Assault

A lawsuit filed against the singer-producer by Chanaaz Mangroe, accuses him of luring her into an "abusive, violent and manipulative relationship"

• The-Dream is being accused of violent allegations in a lawsuit filed by a former protégée

• Chanaaz Mangroe alleges the singer and producer lured her into a recording and distribution contract

• Their relationship then allegedly became "abusive, violent and manipulative"

The-Dream is being accused of rape, sexual assault, trafficking and other violent allegations in a federal lawsuit that was filed by his former protégée Chanaaz Mangroe on Tuesday, June 4.

Per court documents obtained by PEOPLE, the singer/songwriter/producer (real name Terius Gesteelde-Diamant), 46, is being sued over allegations that he lured Mangroe, 33, into a recording and distribution contract which she claims led the then-23-year-old “vulnerable artist into an abusive, violent and manipulative relationship” in 2015.

The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, claims that Mangroe’s experience with The-Dream lasted more than a year and was “nothing short of a prolonged nightmare.”

The filing alleges that the “Falsetto” singer used his age and influence in the music industry to make “false promises” to Mangroe, who was born in the Netherlands, in hopes of gaining her “complete trust.” He allegedly did so by sponsoring the extension of her international visa, offering “lofty visions” of contracts with major labels, guaranteeing hit songs if she became part of his “sanctuary” like with collaborators Rihanna and Beyoncé and also promising her an opening slot on the latter’s upcoming tour, per the complaint.

In reality, the lawsuit claims Mangroe was used to fulfill The-Dream’s own desires, which allegedly “manifested in violent sexual acts and vicious psychological torture.”

On one occasion, the court filing alleges that the music producer locked Mangroe in a dark room, “violently” had sex with her, left and returned to have sex again while demanding “she tell him she loved him.”

On another, it claims The-Dream “once raped Ms. Mangroe in the back of a renovated sprinter van,” the same evening that he “forced her to engage in sex acts in a public movie theater.” He also allegedly required Mangroe to "engage in forced sexual acts in multiple jurisdictions" and recorded her during said acts as a way to threaten her into silence.

Elsewhere, the lawsuit — which also accuses The-Dream’s record label, Contra Paris LLC, and Epic Records of facilitating his “depraved behavior” — alleges that the songwriter forced Mangroe to consume “excessive amounts of alcohol” by pouring it down her throat, “refused to wear a condom and regularly ejaculated inside” of her and would “frequently” strangle her during “violent sex” — once “so intensely that she almost lost consciousness.”

Other accounts outlined in the court filing claim that The-Dream controlled all aspects of Mangroe’s stay in the U.S. — including where she lived and could go, who she spoke to and what she could eat — and “kept a close track of her location at all times.”

Related: The-Dream Arrested on Assault Charges

As a result of the producer’s “heinous acts,” Mangroe’s career was upended after her music was allegedly taken without explanation. The singer’s lawsuit claims she never received compensation for her work, and every attempt to revive her music career has been “hijacked by Dream and those who support him.”

Reps for The-Dream did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Mangroe’s attorneys, Douglas H. Wigdor and Meredith Firetog, said, “This is yet another horrific example of how men in the music industry use their power and influence to manipulate and harm others.”

The lawyers added, “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.”

Related: John Legend 'Horrified' by Sean 'Diddy' Combs Allegations: 'Believe Women When They Make These Accusations'

In her own statement, Mangroe said, “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,” she continued. “I hope that doing so will also help others and prevent future horrific abuse.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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