Mariah Carey is celebrating the conclusion of a years-long legal battle surrounding her 2020 memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey.”
Rolling Stone reports that the defamation suit, filed by the former “American Idol” judge’s brother over his depiction in the book, has been dismissed.
A $20M Lawsuit
In the ruling obtained by the magazine, Justice Leslie A. Stroth of the New York State Supreme Court determined that the star’s brother, Morgan Carey, was unable to prove that the “All I Want for Christmas” singer acted with “actual malice” when writing about her brother.
In his suit, Morgan claimed his sister’s memoir had “ruined” his otherwise “excellent and spotless reputation” by depicting him as violent and having “behavioral problems” as a child, in addition to alleging he trafficked “powdered party favors” (a not-so-thinly-veiled reference to cocaine).
In her memoir, the singer described her estranged sibling as a “sometimes drug dealing, been-in-the-system, drunk-ass brother” and referred to him her “ex-brother.
Morgan also alleged her claim he had been been physically abusive to his mother was “a false and defamatory lie,” insisting he wasn’t violent and had not criminal record.
His suit contended that his sister had relied on their late mother as a source of information, and stated that the damages he suffered were “believed to exceed $20 million.” Mariah is said to be worth an estimated $350 million.
“Plaintiff has not sufficiently pleaded actual malice on the part of [Mariah],” Justice Stroth wrote in his decision. “Plaintiff fails to provide any proof that [Mariah] made such statements with knowledge of their falsity or with reckless disregard of their falsity or with reckless disregard for the truth. While plaintiff alleges that [Mariah] demonstrates ill will towards her brother, such statement is insufficient, and plaintiff has not satisfied the pleading requirement for actual malice.”
Mariah Is ‘Gratified’ By the Outcome
Mariah’s lawyer, John Rosenberg, issued a statement to Rolling Stone indicating that she was glad to see the long, drawn-out legal matter finally laid to rest, and in her favor.
In his statement, Rosenberg said said that she is “is gratified that the court recognized that her memoir addresses significant issues of public interest and dismissed her brother’s defamation claims in their entirety.”
Rosenberg continued by stating that the five-time Grammy winer “believes the importance of the court’s decision goes well beyond her own interests in this particular litigation, as it confirms that authors must be afforded broad protection when they speak out on matters of public concern.”
It’s Not Over
As Rolling Stone noted, Morgan filed his lawsuit on May 28, 2021, eight months after the publication of “The Meaning of Mariah Carey.”
However, his attorney is insistent that while Morgan may have lost in court, the legal battle is far from concluded.
“We respectfully disagree with today’s decision as being completely inconsistent with prior rulings in the case,” lawyer Richard Altman said in an email to Rolling Stone. “We intend to appeal it very soon.”
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Mariah Carey Celebrates Legal Victory As Brother’s Suit Over Memoir Is Dismissed