Mariah Carey Hits Back At Brother Morgan's Defamation Lawsuit Over Memoir

Mariah Carey has denied her brother Morgan Carey's allegations that she defamed him in her memoir, "The Meaning of Mariah Carey," a report says.

Morgan sued the pop diva over her tell-all book in March, alleging that it falsely portrayed him as violent when they were growing up. In new court papers filed Friday, however, the "All I Want For Christmas Is You" hitmaker asked that her older brother's lawsuit be dismissed, saying that the story of "her personal triumph over adversity is a matter of public interest," Page Six reported.

This would mean that a higher legal standard would be required of Morgan to prove she defamed him in her memoir, and her filing claimed that his lawsuit doesn't meet it. The singer also said in the documents that the story she shared was not meant to defame him but to encourage youngsters who are also in difficult situations.

"The story of Ms. Carey’s rise from a dysfunctional and sometimes violent family environment has significant public value, particularly to any young person who may find her/himself stuck in similarly harsh and dispiriting circumstances and who can benefit from the inspiration to employ their talents in pursuit of their dreams," Carey's lawyers said in the court documents filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.

In the defamation suit he filed months after the September 2020 release of Carey's book, Morgan alleged that the memoir contained "false and defamatory" details to describe him, citing the passage about his alleged fight with their father.

He claimed the book made it seem like he had been violent toward their late father when it was their dad who had been abusive. "The violence was entirely one-sided, with the plaintiff being the recipient of his [father’s] misplaced rage," he alleged in the lawsuit.

Morgan insisted that the passages mentioning him were "mere gossip and of prurient interest." He added that Carey's alleged lies resulted in "serious damage to his reputation and to his personal and business affairs" on his part, including losing out on a film project.

"Her attempt to falsely characterize plaintiff as equally violent as their father, and her subsequent commentary on police relations with Black people was only the beginning of defendant Mariah Carey’s desperate attempt to vilify plaintiff, play the victim card, and curry favor with the Black Lives Matter movement," Morgan's complaint read.

Morgan sued for unspecified damages. His lawyer, Richard Altman, declined Page Six's request for comment.

Carey's older sister, Alison Carey, also filed a suit against the pop diva in February seeking $1.25 million for "emotional distress" caused by the claims she made against her in the memoir, USA Today reported. Alison's case is still pending.

Meanwhile, Carey also mentioned her ex-husband Tommy Mottola in her book. According to the "Hero" singer, many questioned her decision to marry Mottola in 1993, but "none of them questioned the decision more than I did."

"It felt like he was cutting off my circulation, keeping me from my friends and what little ‘family’ I had. I couldn’t talk to anyone that wasn’t under Tommy’s control," the singer added. "I couldn’t go out or do anything with anybody. I couldn’t move freely in my own house."

Carey also talked about her affair with Derek Jeter, whom she thought was her soulmate, but never mentioned her ex-fiancé James Packer. She told The Guardian in October 2020 of his absence from the book, "If it was a relationship that mattered, it’s in the book. If not, it didn’t occur."