January 25, 2002 8:00

MARIAH THREATENS EMI WITH LEGAL ACTION

The star's lawyers are unhappy over the wording of a release that announced the diminishing diva's departure from the label...

Mariah Carey's lawyer is threatening to take legal action against EMI over the wording of a release that announced the diminishing diva's departure from the label.

Heavyweight LA lawyer Marshall Grossman is incensed that a statement sent to the London stock exchange yesterday morning (January 23) said Mariah Carey's contract had been "terminated". Grossman and the EMI legal team had been locked in talks for ten days beating out the wording of a statement, which was due to have been released simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic at 9.15 (EST) and 2.15 (GMT). It had been agreed that it would say read Mariah Carey's contract was being "cancelled".

"It is simply deplorable," Grossman said to the New York Post of the stock exchange statement and the dreaded "terminated" word. "The issuance of that release was a direct violation of the terms of the agreement which prohibited any further statement by either side."

The tussle could yet get more unseemly for Mariah Carey. EMI are hitting back at Grossman, claiming he is making "inflammatory statements" and promising to countersue.

Under the terms of the buy-out deal, Mariah Carey is a free agent with a £19.6million kiss-off. Speculation is growing that Mariah Carey, unable to go to either Sony, where he ex-husband Tommy Mottola rules the roost ,or EMI, will find a new home at Warners.