The Real Reasons Mariah Carey And James Packer Split
Mariah Carey and James Packer have reportedly called it quits, despite sources close to the couple previously claiming they were totally in love. What happened?
Did he think she was after his money?
A source told Page Six, "The relationship was always a sham—it was all about one thing...money, money, money, money." Woman's Day Australia reported that Packer was unsettled by Carey's lavish lifestyle, with an insider telling the mag, "James is very generous, but Mariah takes it to the next level."
Carey does, indeed, like to spend. Page Six reported that her glam squad costs close to $10,000 per session to get her hair and makeup picture perfect, and she won't appear in public without their work. Additionally, Carey and Packer had "his and hers" yachts, which she showed off on Entertainment Tonight in early August 2016. Carey's yacht reportedly costs a cool $340,000 per week, plus expenses, including $40,000 for fuel, wages for a 16-person crew, and fees for Carey's personal on-board chef. Page Six alleges the "Fantasy" singer spends "at least $45,000 a year on spa treatments for her beloved pooches...[and] even flew first class to LA in January, which cost over $2,000 per dog." A Packer pal told Woman's Day Australia that Carey also spends $100,000 a month ordering exotic flowers from around the world to be delivered wherever she happens to be.
A source dished to Us Weekly that Carey may have had a "why spend mine when I can spend yours?" mentality. "The difference is, she has always drained through her own money, but now she had him picking up some of the bills," the insider said. "He started managing her money and her affairs. He started coming up with other ways she could make money."
Shortly after the split was announced, TMZ reported that Carey made a private demand to Packer for $50 million after the breakup. A source claimed that Packer allegedly made several "financial promises" to the Grammy winner. Carey reportedly claimed that packing up and moving her life (and her twins from her previous marriage to Nick Cannon) from New York to Los Angeles so Packer could be near his kids cost her a lot of money. Carey also allegedly claimed that whatever happened during their blowout fight in Greece in September 2016 traumatized her so much that she was forced to cancel the South American leg of her tour, which in turn cost her a slew of profits.
Others say it was never about the money
Perhaps Packer is paranoid, because, well, Carey doesn't need Packer's money. As the best-selling female artist in Billboard history, Carey boasts an estimated net worth of $520 million of her own hard-earned money.
In fact, Carey told Complex in July 2016 that she was very pro-prenup. "We would like for [a prenuptial agreement] not to be a big thing, but the reality is it has to be. Because there's things that are specifically mine, and he's got huge friggin' conglomerate stuff, and I'm not looking to take that from him. So it has to be dealt with. Anytime you get married to somebody [it does]—and I should know. This'll be marriage No. 3."
A source close to the songbird told Page Six, "James did not dump Mariah over money, nor her lavish spending. There's no way this could be about excessive spending. Yes, she likes her hair and makeup done, and of course she goes shopping, she might buy five pairs of Louboutins, but there's no way her spending is excessive by his standards. He moves his icebreaker yacht from country to country on a whim, he regularly lends it to celebrities," the insider said. "If he wants pizza he moves it to Italy. He has a private jet, fully staffed houses in LA, Aspen, Argentina, and an island in Australia. He's building another mega-yacht, and developing an island with Robert De Niro, and he has his movie deal with Warner Bros. All this wildly exceeds anything Mariah could spend on her wardrobe."
His family allegedly didn't like her
It sounds like Packer's family wasn't, as Carey lovingly calls her fans, a lambily. Carey reportedly rubbed her future in-laws the wrong way when she didn't come to a birthday party they threw in the Land Down Under for Packer's sister, Gretel. An insider told Woman's Day Australia, "When she refused to come to Australia for Gretel's birthday party it created a lot of tension in the family. His mum hated to even hear her name mentioned, and James' tight circle of friends never really thought they would marry." A source close to the couple told People, "They don't like her at all and never have."
One (or both) of them may be unstable
Numerous tabloids have reported on the couple's alleged emotional instability. A source close to Carey told Us Weekly, "James has not been present for her so she unfortunately couldn't make it work and had to leave him." An insider also noted to Page Six, "James isn't in the best space mentally, he's kind of checked out, and that put a strain on their relationship."
TMZ reported that "something really bad" went down between Packer and Carey while vacationing in Greece on their yachts in September 2016, prompting Carey to leave the trip immediately. The couple reportedly haven't spoken since the incident—though it's unclear what happened. Sources told Page Six, "They had a fight in Greece, and it isn't clear if they are going to work things out...Something went down with Mariah's assistant when they were on the boat in Greece. It wasn't a violent incident, but it meant that Mariah had to leave." Another insider told People, "James has not been in a mentally healthy place. His behavior was not a desirable situation for Mariah so she unfortunately had to leave him."
A rep for Packer denied all the claims, telling press that the tales are "simply untrue." A source close to Packer told People, "[It's] typical Mariah to just twist things that don't sound good to her. They split because she has issues. James is definitely an oddball, but a brilliant great guy. To put her issues on James is ridiculous."
He may have needed more privacy
A source told Radar Online that Carey's diva antics amplified while filming her reality show, Mariah's World, which Packer didn't want to be part of it to begin with. "James does not want to be on her TV show, and it's a sticking point," the source said. "For now, the wedding is off, and they might break up altogether." Another insider told Woman's Day Australia, "James had huge reservations about Mariah's new reality TV show and the fact that she was willing to expose their lives to the world."
A Packer insider sniped to People, "James is very private, and doesn't need the media to be successful." Another insider told Us Weekly, "She always has her whole entourage and he couldn't take that...Being in such a public relationship was fun for James at first, but then it got to be too much and he wanted his normal life back."
They're both married to other people
One big factor standing in the way of Packer and Carey walking down the aisle? They're both still legally married to other people! A source told Radar Online that Packer was irked by Carey's ex, Cannon, allegedly holding up their divorce. "Nick refuses to finalize the divorce even though they have been separated for two years now," a source said. "Mariah says she feels like he is trying to sabotage her wedding and she is just so sick of his bulls**t...James really wants her to divorce to be finalized."
As of January 2016, TMZ reported that Packer was still legally married to estranged wife Erica, even though they'd been separated since 2013.
They're both too busy
Packer and Carey's conflicting schedules make romance difficult. The singer is wrapping up her Las Vegas residency, promoting and filming Mariah's World, and gearing up for her always-busy holiday season, while Packer is constantly doing business.
A source told Page Six, "Mariah been working all the time and he's been out of the country taking care of his own business...This isn't a typical relationship, they spend months apart. He's a billionaire and she's Mariah Carey, they both travel all over the world and try to meet regularly somewhere in the middle. But recently it has been hard, she has been touring and next month she goes to Mexico then Hawaii, and she's resuming her Beacon dates in New York for Christmas."
Someone may have cheated
TMZ reported that Packer was wary of Carey getting cozy with a dancer from her Las Vegas residency, whom E! News identified as Bryan Tanaka. TMZ claimed the alleged dalliance was captured on her show, Mariah's World. However, Carey's rep told Entertainment Tonight that the aforementioned spat in Greece was "not because of any cheating allegations or excessive spending by Mariah." The keywords there are "by Mariah."
Perhaps whatever happened between Packer and Carey's assistant related to infidelity. It allegedly wouldn't be the first time for Packer: the Daily Mail reported that soon after Packer became estranged from wife Erica around September 2013, he was spotted on a yacht with Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr, who had recently split from then-husband Orlando Bloom. The couples had been longtime pals and even vacationed together previously, leading Packer to admit to Forbes in March 2014 that his "personal life is a disaster."
They've had problems for a while
A source told Page Six in late October 2016 that the pair split about seven weeks prior, adding, "Things haven't been going well for a while. She lives in a crazy world." In September 2016, Radar Online reported that the couple's ill-fated trip to Greece was an effort to save the relationship, which had been suffering for some time. "The trip was a last-ditch effort to save their romance," a source said. "They're struggling."
A source told Us Weekly, "This was just a bad combination. "In the beginning, he swept her off her feet and was a gentleman, but then as time went on, he revealed he had a temper and could get angry over the smallest things."
Is he jealous?
TMZ reported that Packer flipped out on Carey's dancer, Tanaka, after she gave him a lap dance during a show in South Africa in May 2016. That particular piece of choreography is reportedly a staple for most of her performances, and other celebs, including Blac Chyna, have received lap dances from Carey, too. Packer reportedly flipped out at Tanaka at one of Carey's subsequent shows in June 2016. It's "unclear whether it got physical," sources said, but there was reportedly a lot of screaming involved. Packer was allegedly so paranoid that he used his casino ties in Australia and Asia to get Tanaka banned permanently from Caesar's Palace, where Carey's residency takes place. Carey didn't make a fuss at the time because Tanaka wasn't reportedly injured and unable to dance anyway, but sources said she did, in fact, fear Packer.
She's already moving on
Just one day after their engagement was called off, Carey was spotted going to dinner with Tanaka—the same dancer that Packer suspected her to have a thing for while they were still together. She was wearing her $10 million engagement ring from Packer for the outing, as well as a pretty revealing ensemble. Tanaka was also photographed at Carey's annual Halloween party earlier in October 2016, an event from which Packer was noticeably missing. Somewhere, maybe this billionaire is singing her song "Someday."
She found out about the breakup from the press
A source told Us Weekly that Carey didn't even know she and Packer were done for good until she heard about the article that broke the news to the rest of the world. "Mariah was totally blindsided by James. She read the news in Woman's Day Australia that said he dumped her," the source said. "Mariah knew they were having problems, but all relationships have issues—it wasn't the kind of thing where she thought she'd read in the paper that she got dumped...She was devastated; she was shocked."
Additionally, Mariah Carey and James Packer's own actions leading up to the blowout fight in Greece also suggest the breakup may have come as a shock to the "Breakdown" songstress. TMZ reported that Packer sent Carey lovey-dovey emails and letters just a month before their split, even referring to her as "MCP," as in "Mariah Carey Packer." "I'm in love with you and can't wait to get married and be together forever," he reportedly wrote in one missive that featured the subject line "Will U marry me soon MCP pls -:)))))." He added, "There's a song I'm listening to now that's got lots of meanings and I hope it makes u smile. When you get caught between the moon and New York City best that you can do is fall in love...All my love, laughter, light, respect and appreciation and admiration...Thank you my fiancee and soulmate." Watch out, Shakespeare!
TMZ also claimed Carey gave Packer a Cartier wedding band just a week before their big fight.
She may be keeping her engagement ring
Carey's 35-carat engagement ring from Packer is worth a whopping $10 million, and it may very well stay on her hand. A source close to Carey told Us Weekly, "He's not going to make her give the ring back because it's against the law. The law in California is that she doesn't have to give the ring back because she didn't call off the engagement. She had every intention of marrying him—she had a dress, her daughter had a dress, they were excited, they were making wedding plans. Then, on the last day [of their Greek vacation], he said, 'I can't do this anymore, this is just too much.'"
Attorney Stacy D. Phillips explained, "If the recipient cancels the wedding, then the recipient has to give back the ring because the ring was a conditional gift—the condition being the recipient had to marry the donor," she told Us Weekly. "If the donor breaks it off, then the recipient can keep the ring. If they decide together mutually to cancel the wedding then the recipient has to return the ring,"
If push comes to shove and Carey wants to hold on to her rock, she may have to prove that Packer was the dumper in the situation, which would conflict with earlier reports that she left him over his temper.
The living situation is contentious
Even though Carey and Packer never made it down the aisle, the former couple are reportedly handling the breakup similarly to a divorce. According to TMZ, when Carey returned to the Calabasas, Calif. rental home she shared with Packer after their blowout fight in Greece, he ordered her to leave. She refused, and sources say she's demanding that he pay for a new home for her in Los Angeles.
An insider explained to Entertainment Tonight, "Mariah is demanding that James continue to pay out the remainder of their Calabasas, California, rental home together. Additionally, Mariah is also demanding that James take care of her next move in real estate as part of negotiations." The source continued, "Part of the reason for this is that Mariah lost wages from canceling a leg of her tour recently and originally moved her family from New York to Los Angeles." The songbird is reportedly looking for a new home with a luxury realtor.
There may be a Scientology connection
Page Six reported that Carey believes Tommy Davis, a former spokesman for the Church of Scientology, was behind Packer dumping her after he began advising Packer on his finances, including how much he spent on Carey. "Mariah and James were looking at homes in Beverly Hills to buy together in August [2016], everything was fine, he was saying she was his soulmate, and he couldn't wait to marry her," a source said. "Then suddenly he changed. In September [2016], James suddenly seemed not like himself at all. Mariah is suspicious of Tommy, who has been managing James' finances, and she suspects he is controlling him."
Davis reportedly didn't get along with Carey's manager, either "Mariah's manager Stella [Bulochnikov] clashed with Tommy, and she demanded to know what was going on. James was acting so strange that Mariah asked him directly, 'What is going on, are you back in Scientology?' Then she was told by his staff, 'James isn't well and he doesn't want you to see him like this, so please leave.'" The source added, "Mariah was stunned. To see the man you are going to marry change overnight. It was like he was a different person. She became very concerned and didn't know how to deal with his sudden change of heart. It is heartbreaking for her."
A source close to Packer denied the allegations that Davis was controlling him, noting that Davis wasn't present on the yacht when the couple reportedly had their relationship-ending argument.
They allegedly never consummated the relationship
Sources told TMZ that Carey couldn't possibly have cheated on Packer with another guy because the "Dream Lover" singer doesn't believe in premarital sex, period. Mariah Carey and James Packer reportedly had separate bedrooms everywhere they went, including on their yachts and in their home. The tab said they made out like teenagers but never took it further because Carey is a "traditional girl" and wouldn't compromise that for anyone, suggesting that's part of the reason Packer was so eager to get married.
Carey's estranged husband, Nick Cannon, corroborated this theory in an interview with Howard Stern in 2012, when he revealed the pair weren't intimate until after their wedding.