Mariah Carey's Brother Loses $20 Million Defamation Lawsuit Over Memoir

A New York judge has dismissed a $20 million defamation lawsuit filed by Morgan Carey against his sister, singer Mariah Carey, over statements made in her 2020 memoir, "The Meaning of Mariah Carey." The lawsuit alleged that the memoir contained defamatory passages that caused intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Morgan Carey claimed that his sister's book included false and defamatory statements, specifically citing a passage about a physical altercation between their father and brother. He argued this portrayal depicted him as a "physically violent man" and played into a "clichéd and racially charged portrayal of two Black males engaged in a physical struggle never happened."

In his legal filing, Morgan also alleged that Mariah "weaponized the death of both their parents and sister Alison" and that this demonstrated malice. He further claimed that the singer's "actual malice" was evident in her public statements and interviews, including an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

However, the judge, Leslie A. Stroth, ruled that Morgan Carey's second amended complaint did not sufficiently plead "actual malice" on the part of the singer. The court found that the instances of alleged malice were not framed as such in the initial complaint, preventing Mariah Carey from adequately responding to them. The judge noted that while Morgan alleged his sister had ill will towards him, this alone was insufficient to meet the legal standard for actual malice.

The ruling stated that Morgan Carey failed to provide proof that his sister made the statements with knowledge of their falsity or with reckless disregard for the truth. The court also pointed out that the memoir's sources for some statements were unverified, including anonymous individuals and information attributed to her deceased mother.

This lawsuit is not the first legal challenge Mariah Carey has faced related to her memoir. Her sister, Alison, previously filed a $1.25 million suit alleging intentional infliction of emotional distress. Alison cited passages in the memoir where Mariah described alleged incidents of abuse, including being given Valium and having boiling tea thrown at her, which Alison claimed lacked substantiation and caused her significant distress, including PTSD and anxiety. Alison had also sued their mother, Patricia, alleging childhood sexual abuse.

Mariah Carey's memoir detailed a complex relationship with her mother, describing it as "a prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration and disappointment." Despite the complexities, she dedicated the memoir in part to her mother, acknowledging that Patricia "did the best she could."

In August 2024, Mariah Carey announced the deaths of both her mother and sister on the same day, describing the loss as a tragic turn of events and expressing her grief.