Benny manages J.Lo-to-Mariah move
Four months after an acrimonious split with Jennifer Lopez, mega-manager Benny Medina has attached his rocket power to Mariah Carey. But the controversial star-shaper is already ruffling feathers. "He's coming in like Mr. Know-It-All," snipped one source. "Mariah was working on a book deal with HarperCollins. He wanted to kill it because the deal wasn't done by him, and now he's involved."
Medina confirmed that his company, Handprint Entertainment, is "consulting on all aspects of Mariah's career". And that includes nixing the deal with HarperCollins. "I guess I am the spoiler," Medina told us. "Mariah had a tremendous idea [for a book]. She was engaged in discussions. But we just decided, based on other opportunities, to table it for now."
The superfit 33-year-old, whose "Charmbracelet" sold a million copies, has lots of notes left to sing before she takes a look back, Medina inferred. "What it boiled down to was whether a book was the best use of her time and energy right now," he added.
Medina denied claims, also leveled by the snitch, that he was behind diva-esque demands made by Carey during a recent stay in Monaco for the World Music Awards. In four deluxe hotel suites - rented just for her - she wanted fresh flowers throughout, six humidifiers, an exercise bike and special lighting, it was reported.
"I wasn't in Monaco," Medina scoffed. "I can honestly say I ordered not one candle, not one flower, not one car." He explained, "Mariah flew over for a day from Germany, at the request of Prince Albert, to receive a lifetime achievement award. She asked for nothing."
In July, former client J.Lo launched a $100,000 lawsuit against Medina, claiming she felt "wronged and misrepresented" by the showbiz Svengali, who basically turned her from a lowly Fly Girl into a superstar, with movies, records, clothing lines and endorsement deals. Let's see what he can do for Mariah. (New York Daily News)
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