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Mariah Carey wins bitter legal battle with brother as $20M lawsuit over tell-all memoir is tossed
Mariah Carey earned a win in court after a New York judge dismissed a $20 million defamation case filed by her brother, Morgan Carey.
Morgan alleged in a 2021 lawsuit that his sister's 2020 memoir, "The Meaning of Mariah Carey," contained defamatory statements and caused intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
In his initial complaint, Morgan wrote that Mariah's book contained "numerous passages which are of and concerning plaintiff, and which are, both individually and collectively, false and defamatory."
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He initially brought the action against the "We Belong Together" singer "more in sorrow and disappointment in his sister’s betrayals and malicious falsehoods than in anger at them" and claimed "the damage was intended" before press began on the book.
Morgan cited a passage where the singer recalled an alleged fight between her brother and father as "false and defamatory," and claimed the excerpt alone not only portrayed him as a "physically violent man," but also fulfilled a "clichéd and racially charged portrayal of two Black males engaged in a physical struggle never happened."
"It took twelve cops to pull my brother and father apart," Mariah allegedly wrote. "The big bodies of men, all entangled like a swirling hurricane, crashed loudly into the living room. I was a little girl with very few memories of a big brother who protected me."
In his second amended complaint, Morgan alleged that Mariah "weaponized the death of both their parents and sister Alison," which he claimed "speaks to [Defendant's] true character, and is ample evidence of malice towards [Plaintiff.]"
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"Having reviewed both the First and Complaints, the Court finds that Defendant did not forfeit her opportunity to above allegations in the Second Amended Complaint that were included as the Defendant's 'actual malice' necessary for Plaintiff's defamation claims," Judge Leslie A. Stroth ruled.
"In the First Amended Complaint, the above instances were not alleged as being indicative of Defendant's actual malice, rather, they were largely claimed as defamatory statements themselves. The Court finds Defendant could not have responded to these instances of 'actual malice' in the First Amended Complaint, as they were not framed as such."
Morgan claimed that "actual malice" was to be inferred from Mariah's "betrayal and deeply hurtful violation of [Plaintiff's] privacy" by revealing he stayed at the Sagamore Children's Psychiatric Center when he was a child, and further characterizing Morgan as "the Big Bad Wolf" in addition to her "ex-brother."
"Plaintiff further states that Defendant's actual malice is also demonstrated in Defendant's Oprah Winfrey interview, and when Defendant 'weaponized' the death of the parties' parents and sister to boost commercial sales of her Memoir," documents stated.
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Morgan acknowledged in his filing that Mariah's sources for some of her "allegedly defamatory statements" are unverified, including her deceased mother, an anonymous photographer and hairstylist, in addition to "inner circle common knowledge."
"The Court finds that Plaintiff has not sufficiently pleaded actual malice on the part of Defendant," the judge ruled. "Plaintiff has alleged that Defendant was more concerned with the 'commercial viability' of her Memoir, than verifying the truth of her statements, and that Defendant's sources for such statements are anonymous and/or unverifiable.
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"Notably, Plaintiff fails to provide any proof that Defendant made such statements with knowledge of their falsity or with reckless disregard for the truth."
The judge added, "While Plaintiff alleges that Defendant demonstrates ill will towards her brother, such a statement is insufficient, and Plaintiff has not satisfied the pleading requirements for actual malice in his Second Amended Complaint."
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The Grammy-winning singer's familial relationships have been challenging over the years.
Shortly after the release of her memoir, her sister Alison claimed Mariah intentionally inflicted "emotional distress" and filed a $1.25 million suit against the "Fantasy" singer.
The suit referred to Carey as "heartless, vicious [and] vindictive," and stated that Alison had begun abusing alcohol and was "uncharacteristically tearful" after the book's release.
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Carey alleged in her book that Alison gave her Valium and tried to "pimp her out" and threw boiling hot tea on her, per People, a story which Alison cited in the summons and claims "presented no evidence to substantiate."
"[Carey] also callously dismisses [Alison] as her 'ex' sister," docs stated. "But instead of saying no more about her, [Carey] used her book to humiliate and embarrass plaintiff as stories about the memoir appeared in newspapers around the world, on TV and across the Internet, most of them with headlines repeating defendant's allegations — all of them published without giving [Alison] any opportunity to respond."
Alison was allegedly diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and depression, and was in therapy to process "the horrific abuse" she allegedly suffered as a child, which includes incidents she's described as "satanic" in a 2020 lawsuit against their mother, Patricia.
Prior to her own suit against Mariah, Alison sued their mother, claiming she was forced to endure sexual abuse from multiple men by way of Satanic worship meetings when she was a child.
Alison accused her mom, Patricia, of sexual abuse when she was 10 years old in a summons filed with the New York Supreme Court in February 2020, that was obtained by Fox News Digital at the time.
Alison alleged that her mother allowed and encouraged an undisclosed number of men to engage in sexual acts such as forcible touching, sexual assault in the first degree and made her witness people engaged in sexual acts with adults and children.
In her memoir, Mariah wrote that her relationship with her mother "has been full of contradictions and competing realities."
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"Our relationship is a prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration and disappointment. A complicated love tethers my heart to my mother's," she wrote.
After referring to her relationship with her mother as a "complicated love," Carey dedicated her memoir in part to Patricia.
"And to Pat, my mother, who, through it all, I do believe actually did the best she could," Carey wrote. "I will love you the best I can, always."
In August 2024, Carey confirmed both her mother and sister died on the same day.
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"My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day," she told People at the time.
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"I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed. I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time."
