Mariah Carey In Legal Battle With Estranged Brother After Death Of Mom & Sister

Thanks to a judge's new order, Mariah Carey can no longer avoid sitting down with her estranged brother, Morgan.

The renowned songstress has been butting heads with her sibling over the contents of her 2020 memoir "The Meaning of Mariah Carey." Her estranged brother sued her in 2021, accusing her of defamation.

Mariah Carey initially tried to get Morgan's lawsuit thrown out of court; however, only some of his claims against her were dismissed. Now, the pair must resolve their differences weeks after the deaths of their mom and sister.

According to new court documents, a judge ordered Mariah and Morgan to sit for depositions in his defamation lawsuit before January 31, 2025. The order noted the singer "reserves the right to seek limitations on the scope of discovery."

The pair's legal drama began three years ago following Morgan's issues with his portrayal in Mariah's memoir. He argued that she falsely painted him as violent and a drug seller, with part of her book reading:

"I was a little girl with very few memories of a big brother who protected me. More often, I felt I had to protect myself from him, and sometimes I would find myself protecting my mother from him too."

Another passage, per In Touch, read, "Suddenly there was a loud, sharp noise, like an actual gunshot. My brother had pushed my mother with such force that her body slammed into the wall, making a loud cracking sound."

In his lawsuit, Morgan stressed that he was never violent with their parents, nor did he ever sell drugs. He claimed his estranged sister's book had ruined his reputation and sued her for unspecified damages.

However, Mariah doubled down on her allegations, claiming the statements made in her memoir were "true or substantially true." She alleged that their mother had told her about Morgan's drug sale.

The "All I Want For Christmas Is You" hitmaker claimed that a well-known photographer who knew her brother echoed similar sentiments, and a hairstylist also backed her narrative. Part of her argument read:

"I would describe it as inner-circle common knowledge at the time that [Morgan] was heavily involved in the Manhattan nightlife scene. And that he often was in possession of cocaine."

In 2023, the court dismissed most of Morgan's lawsuit and rejected his appeal petition. However, it ruled that he could pursue damages for the passages in Mariah's memoir related to the drug dealer claim.

The recent hearing forcing them to sit for depositions comes weeks after the estranged siblings lost their mother, Patricia Carey, and their sister, Alison Carey, on the same day.

The Blast reported the doubled tragedy in August, noting that Mariah had confirmed the losses in a poignant statement, writing, "My heart is broken that I've lost my mother this past weekend. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day."

In her statement, Mariah revealed that she spent the last week of her mom's life with her, a sweet gesture that showed how their relationship had improved. The pair had a complicated past, part of which was depicted in the memoir.

Patricia divorced Maria's father, Alfred Roy Carey, when the singer was only three years old. She claimed their bond as mother and daughter was complex in her book, writing:

"Like many aspects of my life, my journey with my mother has been full of contradictions and competing realities. It's never been only black-and-white — it's been a whole rainbow of emotions."

Despite their differences, Mariah learned to appreciate her mother's love and penned a sweet dedication to her in the memoir. "And to Pat, my mother, who, through it all, I do believe actually did the best she could. I will love you the best I can, always," she declared.

Morgan wasn't the only sibling who had a problem with Mariah's memoir, as their late sister, Alison, had a bone to pick with the singer. She sued her for $1.25 million in damages, with her accusation reading:

"Infliction of immense emotional distress caused by defendant's heartless, vicious, vindictive, despicable and totally unnecessary public humiliation of defendant's already profoundly damaged older sister."

Alison claimed Mariah used her celebrity status to attack her and generate viral headlines to promote the sales of her book. The singer's late sibling further stressed that she was devastated by the allegations.

Alison's lawsuit against Mariah Carey was not resolved before her death. Will she settle with her estranged brother, or will their differences continue?