Mariah Carey has won the dismissal of a defamation lawsuit brought by her brother over claims made in her bestselling memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey.
A New York judge ruled on Monday that Morgan Carey had failed to sufficiently establish “actual malice” in his case against the singer.
Morgan sued his sister in 2021, alleging that her 2020 book had damaged his reputation by suggesting he had sold cocaine and spent time in prison.
His original lawsuit also challenged passages portraying him as violent.
Most of his claims were dismissed in 2022, but two passages relating to alleged drug dealing and imprisonment were allowed to proceed.
In the latest ruling, Judge Leslie A Stroth said: “The Court finds that Plaintiff has not sufficiently pleaded actual malice on the part of Defendant.”
Under New York law, the legal standard in this case required Morgan to show that his sister knew the statements were false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
Morgan had claimed damages exceeding $20 million.
Carey’s lawyer, John Rosenberg, told Billboard the singer was “gratified” by the decision, which he said recognised that her memoir addressed matters of public interest.
However, Morgan’s lawyer, Richard Altman, said he disagreed with the ruling and intended to appeal.
“We respectfully disagree with today’s decision as being inconsistent with prior rulings in the case,” he told Billboard.