If he doesn’t get to a psychotherapist—fast! A psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor—anyone! The dream is quickly becoming a nightmare. Back in September 2019, we dove deep into The Dream’s dating history. Since the original video was in our classier format, we’ve updated it with new information about his upbringing, recent marriage, and the messy allegations circulating online. But before we dive into this drama, let me rave about my favorite snacks. Our online concession stand at rrgsnacks.com offers five-star treats like Applewood smoked bacon jerky, freeze-dried goodies, and gummy sour peach rings. Our snacks are top-notch!
To give you more insight into his life, we need to go back to September 20th, 1977, when The Dream was born as Terius Youngdell Nash. Raised by his mom, Reva, he spent his early years in Rockingham, North Carolina, before moving to Atlanta. At 15, he lost his mom to cancer. His grandfather then took care of him, but four years later, he also passed away after a stroke. An inheritance dispute with his step-grandmother led to the family house being sold, leaving The Dream with just $115,000 and overwhelming grief.
He worked various jobs at amusement parks, steakhouses, and daycare centers while recording music all night. He told the LA Times, ‘That’s how I learned not to sleep, which isn’t so good now because I can’t ever turn my brain off.’ While his friends partied through their 20s, The Dream stayed focused. He recalls telling his friends he wouldn’t smoke any substances until he made a million dollars, to which his best friend responded, ‘Well, I guess you’re never going to smoke.’ Despite the negativity, he kept grinding, steadily moving closer to his dreams.
He started his first major relationship in 2003 when he met R&B singer Nivea. They got married after dating for less than a year. Nivea told BET that being married made it hard for her label to promote her, which put pressure on her career. They welcomed a daughter in 2005, and Nivea gave birth to twins in 2006. However, their marriage began to fall apart shortly after. In December 2007, Nivea filed for separation, calling it a mutual decision in a statement to The Grape Juice.net. She said, “His happiness is all I want for; I could never repay him for what he has endured by being my friend, partner, and husband.” But then, why did they break up? Around the same time, gossip blogs reported that The Dream was spending a lot of time with Canadian model Kris Jacobs, who appeared in his “Falsetto” music video. The Dream filed for divorce, which was finalized in 2008.
So what really went wrong? He told Angela Yee that as he became more popular, he grew frustrated that Nivea’s career wasn’t keeping up with his. He also mentioned that when they stopped having fun as a couple, he felt it was time to end things. What about trying marriage counseling or better communication? Divorce doesn’t always have to be the answer. He admitted they were very much in love at one point and had no regrets about their time together. However, he also suggested that his upbringing might have contributed to their marriage issues. Despite being raised by loving grandparents and working hard to earn a living, he implied it affected their relationship. But isn’t that just part of life?
By the time their divorce was finalized, his career was taking off. After the success of his debut album ‘Love/Hate,’ he went back to the studio to work on his eagerly awaited follow-up album ‘Love vs. Money,’ which came out in 2009. That same year, while searching for someone to feature in the music video for ‘Rocking That Remix,’ he considered a few artists, including Christina Milian. He told Angela Yee that he chose Christina because she was the underdog. She was wearing a huge engagement ring at the time. Just a few months after meeting, they got married in Las Vegas in September 2009, and a month later, Christina announced she was 19 weeks pregnant. She gave birth to their daughter, Violet, in February 2010. But five months later, The Dream was spotted on a beach with another woman, without his wedding ring. The woman was later identified as his assistant, Melissa Santiago. When the photos hit the internet, The Dream quickly explained the situation, saying he and Christina had ended their marriage months earlier, deciding to split in late 2009.
Just months after their wedding, trouble was already brewing. “Boy, stop lying. You mean to tell me that after just a few months, you gave up instead of working things out? That’s his MO. Oh, this marriage isn’t working? Let me throw it away. Let’s get married, let’s get divorced, let’s get married, let’s get divorced. Damn, just date!” Auntie Regina had a lot to say about it.
TMZ discovered that The-Dream filed for divorce in February 2010, just nine days before Christina gave birth to their daughter, and five months before he was seen on the beach with his assistant. But he wasn’t done explaining himself. A few days after confirming their split, he wrote a letter to his fans on his official website, insisting his marriage didn’t end because of an affair. He even revealed he was so distressed about his marital issues that he considered taking his own life. He admitted to misleading his fans into thinking everything was fine when, in reality, his marriage had been troubled from the start. Ultimately, he said he cried about his decision to end things.
“I just want to be single. I don’t need this woman riding my coattails,” he said. “Shy ain’t even a 10. I just want to put my dang-a-lang wherever I want, whenever I want. Y’all so messy, and I love it.” Later, he blamed his childhood for his relationship issues, telling Angela Yee that if he had both parents in his life, he would have received better guidance and probably wouldn’t have rushed into getting married. Either way, their divorce was finalized in October 2011.
As of now, Christina has moved on with her new husband, Matt Pokora, and they share two children. Good for her. The-Dream also moved on, but not with his assistant. A website called The Dirty revealed that The-Dream had linked up with a mystery woman but allegedly cheated on her in 2012 with a Canadian woman named Lydia Nam.
Lydia announced her engagement to The Dream, but their relationship was messier than a rack of Auntie Regina’s oven-baked ribs—no doubt about it. Lydia gave birth to his fifth child in 2012, the same year Christina blasted him for being an absentee father on a Houston radio station. Christina said she carried all the weight, expressing her wish for her child to have a father in her life. Similarly, Nivea shared her struggles in an interview with BET after having her fourth child with Lil Wayne. She said her load was heavy because neither Lil Wayne nor The Dream was around to help, forcing her to put her singing career on hold.
In June 2013, The Dream was arrested in California for allegedly assaulting Lydia, but the charges were later dropped, and their relationship ended. However, Lydia wasn’t finished with him yet.
In November 2013, she reported an incident that allegedly happened in April 2013 at New York’s Plaza Hotel, accusing The Dream of getting physical with her. Lydia said she waited seven months to report it because she was afraid. After a six-month investigation, The Dream was arrested. He claimed Lydia was lying to extend her US visa. When he appeared in court in September 2014, everyone was surprised to see him with a new PYT on his arm.
“Can’t stand being alone, huh? Lani Martinez, identified as The Dream’s new love, was met at a friend’s office. They hit it off quickly, got engaged in May 2014, and secretly married by July 2014. ‘This guy just marries anyone, huh? Can’t be by himself? Maybe some abandonment issues there. Therapy exists for a reason, not just marriage.’ By the time Lani joined him at his court hearing against Lydia, they had been married for two months. Cleared of charges, The Dream and Lani went on to have four children together, making him a father of nine. As of this video, they’re still together.
What’s different with Lani? The Dream told The Breakfast Club he loves being married and is a hopeless romantic. This marriage, he says, is drama-free. He tends not to check up on Lani, which isn’t a problem for her even when he’s busy making music. ‘Okay, Lani, stay low like a doorman. That’s why there’s no drama. It’s giving me peace.’ He’s patched things up with Christina too; they have a close bond. In a 2018 Instagram post, Christina shared a photo of herself, Lani, and their children with the caption, ‘Raising these kids together is a blessing, CH. This partnership is amazing.’
While it’s great seeing baby mamas getting along, there’s something off. Where’s his accountability? Why isn’t he saying he’s having a blast raising the kids? It feels a bit ick.”
On their fifth wedding anniversary in July 2019, Lani posted a picture of them together with the caption, “We’ve broken away from the traditional notions of marriage and made it our own, made it fit us and our lifestyle.” No wonder they’re so happy! What’s going on here? It’s giving off some real freaky vibes. Besides finding the love of his life, his career is also booming. He’s the talent behind hits for Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, and Rihanna, among others. He’s won eight Grammy Awards and two BET Awards. No one ever doubted his talent—we just pointed out that he might need some alone time and therapy.
In 2020, he went to court to change his name from Terius Youngdell Nash to Terius Adamu Giktil Diamont Tyus. Wait, what? Terius Abubu Diktion Illuminati? He explained to GQ magazine that his original last name, Nash, was given to his family by slave owners, which didn’t sit right with him. So, he decided to change it. The court approved his request, and in April 2023, he filed to change the last names of the children he shares with Nivea from Nash to Giktil Diamont. Nivea agreed, and a judge signed off on it, ordering the Department of Vital Records to update the children’s birth certificates.
Everything seemed to be going well for The Dream and his family until June 2024. That’s when a woman named Shae Monroe, who performs under the same name, filed a lawsuit against him. She claims that back in 2015, The Dream lured her with promises of advancing her career, only to trap her in an abusive relationship. According to the lawsuit, he forced her into intimate acts, sometimes filming them and threatening to release the footage. She also accuses him of trafficking. What in the Diddy-dadly is going on here?
In her statement, Shae Monroe said, “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 realize that I need to tell my story to heal.” The Dream, through his representative, has denied all the allegations, calling them defamatory.
As of now, the case is still pending. Many people are shocked by these new allegations and are wondering how this lawsuit will impact his career. There are also questions about whether more women will come forward with additional accusations. We’ll keep an eye on the case and update you as things unfold.