Lawyers for Grammy-award winning songwriter and producer The-Dream are seeking the dismissal of a woman’s 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 Beyonce’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.
The producer’s lawyers want the suit to be thrown out entirely, writing in a motion filed on Friday in a Los Angeles federal court that Ms Mangroe’s lawyers are “using 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”.
Ms Mangroe, who performed under the stage name Channii Monroe, alleged in the June lawsuit that Mr Gesteelde-Diamant lured her into “an abusive, violent, and manipulative relationship filled with physical assaults, violent sexual encounters, and horrific psychological manipulation” after she left her native Netherlands for the US with hopes of making it big as a singer.
The motion also aims to dismiss or strike the lawsuit’s rape claim, on technical grounds.
In a statement on Friday, Desiree F Moore, who is representing Mr Gesteelde-Diamant and his company, argued the lawsuit is a “shotgun pleading” which she says is grounds for dismissal because it does not specify specific factual allegations against each defendant.
Meredith Firetog, one of the lawyers representing Mr Mangroe, said in an email to The Associated Press that the arguments made in the motion to dismiss are “wholly unpersuasive”.
“We look forward to opposing the motions” and proceeding with the case, Firetog said.
If the case isn’t dismissed, Mr Gesteelde-Diamant’s lawyers want a judge to strike portions of the complaint they deemed “impermissibly immaterial, impertinent, and scandalous material.”
They also want the company he co-owns, Contra Paris, dismissed because it primarily does business in Atlanta and is registered in Delaware.
