Court Dismisses Morgan Carey’s $20M Defamation Lawsuit Against Sister Mariah

​NEW YORK — Pop superstar Mariah Carey has scored a definitive legal victory after a New York State Supreme Court judge dismissed a multi-million-dollar defamation lawsuit brought against her by her brother, Morgan Carey.

​The legal battle, which began in May 2021, centered on passages in the Grammy-winning singer’s 2020 bestselling memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. Morgan Carey had sought damages upwards of $20 million, claiming that sections of the book falsely depicted him as violent during their youth and alleged he was involved in trafficking cocaine, referred to in the text as “powdered party favors”.

​In a ruling issued on Monday, Justice Leslie A. Stroth ruled in favor of the singer, concluding that the plaintiff failed to meet the stringent legal requirements necessary to prove defamation. Specifically, the court found that Morgan did not provide sufficient evidence demonstrating that the superstar acted with “actual malice”—meaning she knowingly published false information or displayed a reckless disregard for the truth.

​”Plaintiff fails to provide any proof that Defendant made such statements with knowledge of their falsity,” Justice Stroth wrote in the decision, noting that arguments pointing to the book’s commercial prospects were inadequate to override protections for works addressing matters of public concern.

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​John Rosenberg, attorney for Mariah Carey, welcomed the outcome. He stated that the singer was deeply gratified that the court recognized the broader public interest surrounding the themes in her memoir and chose to throw out the claims in their entirety.

​Despite the setback, the legal feud may yet continue. Richard Altman, counsel for Morgan Carey, expressed strong disagreement with the verdict, calling it inconsistent with earlier proceedings, and announced intentions to file an appeal shortly.