Mariah Carey consoling herself with ‘booze’ ahead of deposition in brother’s defamation lawsuit
Mariah Carey 's grieving the death of her mom and estranged sister while grappling with her brother's lawsuit and raking up huge bills on lawyers, and sources tell Life & Style exclusively that her only pleasure these days is when she's consoling herself with bottles of champagne.
"She can't even grieve properly because the dark cloud of this defamation suit is hovering over her. Mariah thinks her brother is being vindictive and out to get her. She has the weight of the world on her shoulders right now, or so it seems to her," the insider explains. "Mariah can't take it, so she's turning to the only 'medicine' that works, booze."
"She's spending a fortune on her defense, money she doesn't really have and is scared to death of depositions and all the intrusive questions," the source continues. "But her methods of coping have friends worried she's digging a deeper hole for herself. Mariah doesn't manage well when faced with difficult situations."
On Aug. 27, a judge ordered Mariah, 55, and Morgan, 64, to give depositions in his defamation lawsuit against her before Jan. 31.
The order came one day after the "We Belong Together" singer revealed that her mother, Patricia, and sister, Alison, died on the same day .
"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," Mariah in a statement to People on Aug. 26. Patricia died at age 87, and Alison died at age 62.
"I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed," the Grammy winner added. "I appreciate everyone's love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time."
Mariah was estranged from her mother and sister at the time, as well as her only other sibling, Morgan.
Morgan filed a civil lawsuit against the "Fantasy" singer in 2021, claiming that she made claims that were "false and defamatory, personally invasive and painful, and have caused serious damage to his reputation and to his personal and business affairs," in her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey.
Morgan claimed that Mariah writing about an alleged altercation between him and their late father, Alfred, made him appear "equally violent as their father." His sister claimed a dozen cops had to break up a physical fight between father and son.
Mariah's lawyers responded by saying she didn't intend to defame Morgan but used the story as an "inspiration" for others who experienced similar situations.
"The story of Ms. Carey's rise from a dysfunctional and sometimes violent family environment has significant public value, particularly to any young person who may find her/himself stuck in similarly harsh and dispiriting circumstances and who can benefit from the inspiration to employ their talents in pursuit of their dreams," the filing read.
In an affidavit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court in July 2021, Morgan asserted that Mariah's claim that she's intended to inspire others and not defame him was "particularly ironic."
"This is coming from someone whose public behavior includes glamorizing her excessive drinking, and coining the now popular term 'splash', as well as other behaviors which would be in poor taste to mention here," Morgan wrote.
This story was originally published October 15, 2024, 11:58 AM.
