Mariah Carey wins dismissal of brother's defamation suit over her memoir

Mariah Carey just won a big round in her family feud: a New York judge has dismissed her brother Morgan Carey's defamation lawsuit over her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey.

Justice Leslie Stroth issued the ruling, which was reported on Monday, Oct. 19, per Just Jared and Variety. Billboard also flagged the win in its Legal Beat newsletter on Tuesday.

What the judge found

Morgan, who sued in 2021, claimed the book falsely painted him as a violent drug dealer who had "been in the system." Per Variety, his suit said he is not violent and has no criminal record. He also alleged the memoir left him unable to find steady work.

Stroth found he had not shown that Mariah knew the statements were false or recklessly disregarded the truth, according to both outlets. That is the "actual malice" bar for a case involving matters of public interest. Just Jared reports the judge wrote that claims of ill will between the siblings were not enough.

The road here

Per Variety, an earlier judge, Barbara Jaffe, dismissed 14 of the original 16 claims in 2022 and all claims against the book's publisher. Some statements were allowed to go forward at that stage, and that decision was upheld on appeal.

Mariah's attorney, John Rosenberg, welcomed the ruling in a statement obtained by Rolling Stone, per Just Jared.

Morgan's side is not done. His attorney said in an email, per Variety, "we will go up to the First Department on appeal." The lawyer argued the court ignored the earlier ruling in the case.

Variety also notes the Careys' sister, Alison, filed a separate suit over the memoir that was never pursued. She died in 2024.