Mariah Carey has won a long-running lawsuit filed by her brother Morgan Carey over allegations in her memoir “The Meaning of Mariah Carey“. New York State Supreme Court Judge Leslie Stroth dismissed his remaining claims after finding that he failed to prove the singer acted with actual malice. The ruling was made on October 19.
Morgan Carey claims the book damaged his reputation by portraying him as violent, linking him to selling cocaine and describing behavioral problems from his childhood. He says Mariah Carey relied on their late mother's stories and put the memoir's commercial success above fact-checking. He estimates the damages at more than $20 million.
“The plaintiff has not sufficiently alleged actual malice on Maria“s part,“ the ruling, cited by Reuters and other media outlets, said. According to the court, Morgan Carey has not presented evidence that his sister knew the allegations were false or recklessly disregarded the truth.
How the decision was reached
Maria Carey's memoirs were published in 2020. Morgan Carey's case began in 2021, with court documents stating the start date as March 3, and Rolling Stone dating the filing of the lawsuit as May 28. In addition to the singer, he has also filed claims against the publisher, editor Michaela Angela Davis, and the publishing imprint Andy Cohen Books.
In February 2022, the court dismissed the lawsuit against the publishing parties and most of the claims against Mariah Carey. The appeals court affirmed the decision in October 2023. In April 2024, Morgan Carey's motion for default judgment or summary judgment was also denied.
Under U.S. free speech law, a plaintiff must show that the disputed statement was made with knowledge of its untruth or with reckless disregard for the truth. It is this element that the court considers unproven.
Both sides announced next steps
Maria Carey's lawyer John Rosenberg told Rolling Stone that the singer was "pleased that the court recognized that her memoirs touched on important issues of public interest and dismissed her brother's defamation claims in their entirety."
Morgan Carey's lawyer Richard Altman said he disagreed with the decision. "We respectfully disagree with today's decision, as it completely contradicts previous decisions in the case. We intend to appeal it very soon," he said.
Thus, the dispute is not finally over if an appeal is filed. However, at present, Morgan Carey has not received the compensation he claimed, and his remaining claims against his sister have been dismissed.
Source: rollingstone.com