Mariah Carey's sister sues her for 'emotional distress' caused by memoir

Mariah Carey is being sued by her own sister for “emotional distress” caused by the singer’s memoir.

The pop diva’s older sister, Alison Carey, filed a lawsuit with the New York County supreme court last Monday, and demanding $1.25m (£1.1m) in damages. Mariah is accused of “heartless, vicious, vindictive, despicable and totally unnecessary public humiliation” via The Meaning of Mariah Carey.

The lawsuit adds that Alison is now “severely depressed and uncharacteristically tearful since the publication of defendant’s book and now struggles, after a long time clean, with alcohol abuse”.

Mariah did not hold back in her memoir, alleging that Alison used to “barter her body for money or drugs”. The memoir also alleges that Alison drugged Mariah, then 10 years old, with Valium, and offered her cocaine, and accuses her of physical abuse involving throwing boiling tea at Mariah’s back.

Alison claims the memoir is full of “cruel and outrageous allegations”, and is no doubt deeply hurt by the description of her that paints her as “brilliant and broken … she chose to take up permanent residence in ‘Victimland’. The promise of her life was squandered in a tragic series of cheap bargains rather than being redeemed through the difficult, lifelong work of recovery and rebuilding oneself.”

The singer is accused of using “her status as a public figure to attack her penniless sister, generating sensational headlines describing her lurid claims to promote sales of her book”.

There is yet to be a response from Mariah Carey about the allegations.