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- Mariah Carey’s older brother filed a lawsuit against her for “extreme mental anguish.”
- Mariah was previously sued by her sister Alison for $1.25 million in February for similar claims.
- The singer’s siblings took issue with allegations described in her memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey.”
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Mariah Carey’s older brother filed a lawsuit against her this week, alleging “intentional infliction of emotional distress” caused by her new memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey.”
The lawsuit, filed in New York Supreme Court on March 3, alleged that specific passages written about Morgan Carey were false and defamatory. Co-author Angela Davis, Andy Cohen Books, and Macmillan Publishing Group LLC were also listed as defendants.
“Many passages about him in the Book are false and defamatory, personally invasive and painful, and have caused serious damage to his reputation and to his personal and business affairs,” the lawsuit, obtained and viewed by Insider, read.
Morgan’s lawsuit comes one month after their sister, Alison Carey, filed a lawsuit against Mariah in February. She claims the memoir’s allegations were “cruel and outrageous” and is seeking $1.25 million from the “We Belong Together” singer.
“The Meaning of Mariah Carey” was published in September 2020 and sparked a media flurry over new details about the pop star’s personal life. It included a candid look into her childhood, early career, and previous marriage to Sony Music executive Tony Mottola.
The lawsuit lists several memoir passages that suggested Morgan was physically violent. In one passage, Mariah described a physical fight between Morgan and their father.
"It took twelve cops to pull my brother and father apart," the memoir read. "It was also the first time I witnessed the possibility that a member of my family could brutally die in front of my eyes. Or that I could die too. I wasn't yet four years old."
The lawsuit alleged that the "clichéd and racially charged portrayal of two Black males" fighting never happened.
Another passage alleged that Morgan was physically aggressive towards their mother and characterized him as "the Big Bad Wolf."
"My childhood was a series of fragile, unstable houses, one after the other, where inevitably the Big Bad Wolf, my troubled brother, would huff and puff and blow it all down," the book said. "I never felt safe."
The lawsuit argued that Morgan has "deep affection" for their mother and that passage was false.
"As a direct and proximate result of the defamatory statements published by defendants and of the malicious acts of humiliation, embarrassment, and vilification of his character, plaintiff has suffered extreme mental anguish, outrage, severe anxiety about his future and his ability to support himself and his family, harm to his reputation and his earning capacity, embarrassment among his friends and associates, disruption of his personal life, and loss of enjoyment of the ordinary pleasures of everyday life," the lawsuit read.
Morgan did not seek a specific amount of money but asked for "judicial determination" that the passages of false and defamatory. He's also sought to undo the damage created by the alleged narrative.
In a similar lawsuit filed by Alison over allegations made in the memoir, the singer's sibling took particular exception to allegations of drug use.
"My sister drugged me with Valium, offered me a pinky nail full of cocaine, inflicted me with third-degree burns, and tried to sell me out to a pimp," the memoir read.
The Carey family has remained estranged in recent years, with Mariah referring to her siblings as her "ex-brother" and "ex-sister."
In an August 2020 interview with Vulture, Mariah said both her siblings are "very broken."
"I have forgiveness in my heart, and so I forgive them, but I am not trying to invite anybody to come hang out over here," Mariah said. "I think they're very broken, and I feel sad for them."