Carey casts new career crew
AFTER being abruptly dumped by her longtime p. r. rep thisweek, Maria hCarey’s quickly moved to find a replacement— and is assembling a whole new management team ahead of what she hopes will be a career comeback.
Page Six exclusively reported that publicist Cindi Berger parted ways with Careyon Tuesday — and we’re told the “Emotions” singer has now hired the Chamber Group’s Chris Chambers, whose clients have included Drake, Lil Wayne and Quvenzhané Wallis.
Carey has also hired TV producers/ managers Stella Bulochnikov and Brian Sher to represent her after severing ties in August with her former manager Jermaine Dupri.
“Mariah is creating a whole new team around her,” an insider said. “New life, new relationships, new label, new management, new publicist, new residency, new, well, everything.”
Earlier this year, Carey exited Universal Music Group to sign a new deal with L. A. ReidandSony’s Epic Records, which reunited her with the execs who over saw her previous come back album, 2005’ s “The Emancipation of Mimi.”
The departure of Berger aftermore than 15 years comes just weeks before the May 6 launch of Carey’s residency at Caesars Palace Las Vegas, where she’ll sing 18 ofher No. 1 hits. An album o f the charttoppers will be released later this summer.
Berger has most recently guided divalicious Carey through a messy divorce from Nick Cannon as well as a highly publicized, epic holiday melt down at Rock Center, during which Carey kept fans waiting in the cold for hours, then never showed to a taping of NBC’s “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” holiday special. She instead performed live a day later— but fans panned her pipes.
Despite the drama, sources said Carey’s “more focused” as she starts rehearsals for Vegas next week. “Mariah’s done a lot of soulsearching . . . and when shewent into the studio to startwork on her newalbum, she felt more happy and free than she ever had and realized she wanted a fresh start.” She’s also reportedly working on a Christmas movie with herpal Brett Ratner.