How Kerry Stokes stopped James Packer marrying Mariah Carey



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It’s no secret Australian billionaire James Packer had a less-than-amicable split from ex-fiancée Mariah Carey.

The pair had a whirlwind relationship, first going public with their romance on a yacht in Italy in 2015 and less than a year later Packer proposed with a $10 million diamond ring.

They never made it up the aisle, and that’s partly down to Packer’s friend and fellow Aussie billionaire, Kerry Stokes.

Mariah Carey and James Packer had a whirlwind romance, first going public on a yacht in Italy in 2015 and less than a year later Packer proposed with a $10m diamond ring. Source: Getty

“We agreed it would be good if he spent some time in Israel,” Stokes said. “Away from all the controversies and the pressures and the intensities.”

To stop Packer from leaving the country quickly, the Seven Network chairman had organised for unscheduled maintenance to take place on Packer’s plane.

Kerry Stokes played a “pivotal role” in stopping James Packer marrying Mariah Carey in 2016. Source: Getty

However, the 78-year-old was accused of “kidnapping” Packer by Carey and her entourage.

Stokes insisted never intended on fully putting a stop to the nuptials, he was just looking out for the welfare of his friend.

“In retrospect that was good for James,” he recalled. “James’s welfare was paramount. He needed care at that stage.”

James Packer and Mariah Carey with Kerry Stokes in Italy in 2015. Source: Getty

The Aussie casino mogul said he began dating the songstress during a low point in his life when he was in over $5 billion of debt and looking for ways to embed himself in the US, where his ex-wife Erica and three kids live.

“She was kind, exciting and fun. Mariah is a woman of substance. She is very bright. But it was a mistake for her and a mistake for me.”

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