# Mariah Carey wins brother's defamation lawsuit dismissal

> Mariah Carey's memoir author wins court dismissal of brother's defamation claims over alleged cocaine sales and prison time.
- Title: Mariah Carey wins brother's defamation lawsuit dismissal
- Summary: Mariah Carey's memoir author wins court dismissal of brother's defamation claims over alleged cocaine sales and prison time.
- Keywords: mariah carey, morgan carey, defamation lawsuit, the meaning of mariah carey, new york times, actual malice, Mariah, Carey, wins, brother's, defamation, lawsuit
- Source: Billboard — https://billboard.com/pro/mariah-carey-wins-dismissal-brother-defamation-lawsuit
- Author: Rachel Scharf
- Published: 2026-10-19T21:40:55+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mariah carey, morgan carey, defamation lawsuit, the meaning of mariah carey, new york times, actual malice
## Court dismisses Morgan Carey's defamation claims
A New York judge dismissed Morgan Carey's defamation lawsuit against Mariah Carey over passages in her 2020 memoir.

> The Court finds that Plaintiff has not sufficiently pleaded actual malice on the part of Defendant
## Defamation lawsuit requires proof of actual malice
New York law requires public figures to prove 'actual malice', intentional lies, for defamation claims to succeed.

> New York law requires a defamation lawsuit against a public figure to plead 'actual malice', that is, demonstrate that they lied on purpose
## Mariah's attorney celebrates dismissal
Mariah Carey's attorney John Rosenberg said the court recognized her memoir addresses public interest and dismissed the lawsuit entirely.

> Ms. Carey is gratified that the Court recognized that her memoir addresses significant issues of public interest and dismissed her brother’s defamation claims in their entirety
## Morgan plans to appeal dismissal
Morgan Carey's attorney Richard Altman said he plans to appeal the dismissal, claiming it conflicts with prior rulings in the case.

> We respectfully disagree with today’s decision as being inconsistent with prior rulings in the case
## Key takeaway

Mariah Carey's memoir author wins court dismissal of brother's defamation claims over alleged cocaine sales and prison time.