Mariah Carey says she didn’t defame her brother when she portrayed him as violent in her tell-all memoir — since it’s in the public interest for her to inspire people to overcome adversity, new court papers say.
Morgan Carey, 61, sued his pop-star younger sister in March, claiming she defamed him in her book The Meaning of Mariah Carey by falsely portraying him as violent when they were growing up, reports PageSix.
But the “Always Be My Baby” singer argues in Manhattan Supreme Court papers filed Friday that Morgan’s suit should be tossed out for a myriad of reasons, including that the book’s message of her personal triumph over adversity is a matter of public interest.
Her claim means that a higher legal standard would be required of Morgan to prove defamation, and it’s one that the suit doesn’t meet, according to Mariah’s filing.
The diva superstar says her story is of public interest because of her level of fame and since she wanted to encourage young people who also face difficult upbringings.
Mariah Carey and he brother backstage at the American Music Awards in the 1990s.
