Songwriter Behind Pop Hits Accused Of Sex Trafficking Aspiring Singer

The lawsuit against Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, also known as The-Dream, comes as the music industry reckons with abuse allegations against another hip-hop mogul.

A Grammy award-winning songwriter behind hits for artists such as Beyoncé and Rihanna was accused on Tuesday of abuse and sex trafficking by a woman who said she believed he’d help launch her music career.

Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, 46, known professionally as The-Dream, was sued by singer Chanaaz Mangroe, 33, who claimed she was lured into a “manipulative relationship” filled with “violent sexual encounters” under the guise of a legitimate contract, according to a lawsuit obtained by HuffPost.

The suit, filed on Tuesday, said that The-Dream’s alleged abuse was made possible with “corporate funding” by Contra Paris LLC, a record label he launched with Jay Z, and Epic Records, a Sony Music owned record label, both of which are also named in the civil action.

Sony Music, did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for a comment.

Gesteelde-Diamant denied the abuse allegations claims in a statement to the New York Times on Tuesday.