- A New York State Supreme Court judge has dismissed a $20m defamation lawsuit brought against Mariah Carey by her older brother, Morgan Carey, over allegations made in her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey.
- Justice Leslie A Stroth ruled that Morgan Carey failed to prove his sister acted with actual malice or reckless disregard for the truth when she portrayed him as a violent man who dealt cocaine in the 1980s.
- Morgan Carey originally filed the suit in May 2021, claiming the book damaged his reputation, caused extreme mental anguish, and cost him employment, including the cancellation of a film project he co-wrote.
- Mariah Carey's lawyer, John Rosenberg, praised the ruling for affirming authors' rights to speak out on matters of public concern, though Morgan's lawyer stated they intend to appeal the decision.
- The dismissal follows a separate $1.2m lawsuit filed by Mariah's late sister, Alison Carey, over claims in the memoir, which was not pursued prior to her death in August 2024.
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