Morgan Carey’s $20 million defamation lawsuit against his sister, Mariah Carey, New York judge has dismissed the last remaining claims in. Justice Leslie A. Stroth ruled on Monday, October 19, 2026, that Morgan failed to establish that Mariah acted with actual malice in her 2020 memoir. Morgan’s attorney has said he plans to appeal. Mariah Carey Wins Dismissal of Brother’s $20M Suit +2
What Did the Judge Rule in the Mariah Carey Defamation Case?
The court tossed the case because Morgan did not clear the legal bar for suing a public figure. Under New York law, he had to show Mariah knew her statements were false or recklessly ignored the truth, and the judge found he offered no such evidence. Newser
The judge also said that alleging ill will toward a brother is not enough to prove actual malice. Morgan had argued that Mariah cared more about the memoir’s commercial viability than about verifying the truth, and that her sources were anonymous or unverifiable. The court found that this did not sufficiently plead actual malice. Yahoo
Mariah’s lawyer, John Rosenberg, said she is gratified that the court recognized her memoir addresses significant issues of public interest. yahoo
Why Did Morgan Carey Sue Mariah Carey?
Morgan filed suit in 2021, claiming the memoir defamed him by accusing him of trafficking “powdered party favors,” a reference to cocaine, and by claiming he had done prison time. He also objected to passages suggesting he was violent during their childhood. Yahoo TMZ
One disputed passage described a fight between Morgan and their father that took twelve police officers to break up. Morgan said no such fights happened and argued that the scene was fictional. The lawsuit also alleged intentional infliction of emotional distress. Gulfnews Blackenterprise
Timeline of the Carey v. Carey Lawsuit
- September 2020: The Meaning of Mariah Carey is released, covering her turbulent childhood, abusive relationships and rise to stardom. gulfnews
- March 2021: Morgan files his lawsuit. Their sister Alison also sued Mariah in 2021, claiming emotional distress. blackenterpriseFox News
- February 2022: Justice Barbara Jaffe dismissed seven of nine challenged passages. Only the cocaine passage and one implying prison time survived. All claims against the publishers were dismissed under New York’s anti-SLAPP law. Mariah Carey scores major win in her brother’s lawsuit over her memoir +2
- Late 2024: A judge ordered the siblings to sit for depositions before January 31, 2025. Fox News
- October 19, 2026: Justice Stroth dismisses the remaining claims. newser
The case is Carey v. Carey et al., New York State Supreme Court, New York County, No. 152192/2021. 979weve
What Is “Actual Malice,” and Why Did It Decide the Case?
Actual malice is the standard public figures must meet to win a defamation case. It is not about spite. The plaintiff must show the author published a false statement knowing it was false, or with reckless disregard for the truth. It is deliberately hard to meet, to protect free speech and memoirists writing about real people.
That is why personal animosity, even if proven, was not enough here. As a result, this ruling says nothing about whether the memoir’s claims are true or false. It only says Morgan did not plead the legal element he needed.
Who Is Morgan Carey?
Morgan Carey is Mariah’s older brother. He is roughly a decade older than she is. He is now 66. Public information about his career is limited. Page Six reported at the time that he allegedly lost a professional project deal because of how the memoir portrayed him. One profile notes that Mariah wrote he was well known and well-liked, even as she described violent episodes with their parents. By Jonathan Stempel +3
Who Is Mariah Carey?
Mariah Carey, 57, is a five-time Grammy winner. Her best-known songs include “Vision of Love,” “One Sweet Day” and “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Her memoir was critically well received and focuses mainly on her childhood, career and relationships before 2001. Mariah Carey Wins Dismissal of Brother’s $20M Defamation Lawsuit over Her Bestselling Memoir +2
In the book she wrote that it felt emotionally and physically safer to keep no contact with her siblings. Fox News
What Happens Next?
The fight may not be over. Morgan’s attorney called the ruling inconsistent with earlier decisions and confirmed plans to appeal. Appeals of defamation dismissals are difficult, but the appellate court could revisit how the earlier ruling, which let two claims proceed, interacts with this one. Complex
Conclusion
A five-year legal battle has ended, for now, in Mariah Carey’s favor. The ruling shows how hard it is for a public figure’s relative to win a defamation suit over a memoir. For updates, watch for the appeal filing in Carey v. Carey.
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