Judge Dismisses Brother’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Mariah Carey

New York Judge Dismisses Defamation Lawsuit Brought by Mariah Carey’s Brother

A New York judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed against Mariah Carey by her brother, Morgan Carey, over claims made in the singer’s 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. Judge Leslie Stroth ruled on Monday that Morgan Carey failed to establish that the artist acted with actual malice when writing the book, according to court documents filed on Monday.

Morgan Carey first sued his sister in New York’s supreme court in 2021, alleging that her bestselling autobiography damaged his reputation by falsely depicting him as a violent drug dealer with a criminal record. In the 2020 memoir, the singer described her brother as a sometimes drug dealing, been-in-the-system, drunk-ass brother and referred to him as her ex-brother. The initial complaint sought damages exceeding $20 million.

Judge Jaffe Dismissed Most Claims in 2022

The litigation saw significant cutbacks in 2022 when Judge Barbara Jaffe dismissed 14 of the 16 claims in Morgan Carey’s original complaint, while also dropping all claims against the book’s publisher, Macmillan. However, the 2022 ruling allowed two specific passages regarding alleged cocaine dealing in the 1980s and time spent in the system to proceed toward trial.

Following that ruling, Morgan Carey’s legal team filed an amended complaint in January, seeking damages in excess of $1.5m tied to the cancellation of a film he co-wrote. The filing alleged that a producer called off the project out of fear of angering the singer, leaving him unable to find steady work. Judge Stroth ultimately rejected these arguments on Monday, ruling that a belief in his sister’s personal ill will did not meet the legal threshold for actual malice required in matters of public interest.

Mariah Carey Welcomes Ruling as Brother Plans Appeal

John Rosenberg, an attorney representing Mariah Carey, told People magazine that the singer is gratified that the court recognised that her memoir addresses significant issues of public interest and dismissed her brother’s defamation claims in their entirety. Rosenberg added that the decision affirms broad protections for authors speaking out on matters of public concern.

Conversely, Morgan Carey’s legal team intends to continue the fight. Richard Roth, one of his attorneys, told Variety on Tuesday that they plan to appeal the decision. Richard Altman, another attorney representing Morgan, told Billboard that they respectfully disagreed with the ruling, calling it inconsistent with prior court decisions in the case.

Family Legal History Surrounding the Memoir

In 2021, the siblings’ sister, Alison Carey, filed a defamation suit against the singer over allegations in the book, including claims that Alison left her with third-degree burns and exposed her to dangerous situations as a child. Alison Carey denied the allegations, accusing the singer of using her celebrity status to boost book sales. That lawsuit remained unresolved before Alison Carey died in 2024 at the age of 63 without pursuing the case.

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