The basis for Mariah Carey’s split from fiance James Packer has changed quite dramatically since it was first reported.
News of this engagement coming to an end first leaked out late on Wednesday night.
Initially, reports cited Packer’s disdain for Carey’s excessive spending habits and love of the spotlight for the reason why he ended his relationship with the artist.
But whether it was Carey’s PR team spreading rumors and allegations… or further investigative digging by various outlets… talk has now turned to an incident that took place in Greece.
According to TMZ, the couple was on a vacation last month when something happened. That’s just about all the website has claimed thus far.
But this situation involved Carey’s assistant and was traumatic enough that Carey left Packer soon afterward and returned to Los Angeles.
A source says the two have not even had any contact since this mysterious confrontation went down.
In a follow-up to its initial report, TMZ writes that Packer turned "violent" during this incident, with insiders describing Packer in a variety of disturbing ways.
He’s “not in his right mind,” the celebrity gossip site says. Carey simply “had to leave him” because he hasn’t been “present for her” in months and, overall, Packer is “mentally unstable."
Yikes.
We cannot verify these claims, but a source tells E! News pretty much the exact same thing.
"James is not in a mentally healthy place right now and he has not been present for her," this insider claims, adding:
"Unfortunately, his absence and behavior was not a good situation for her, so she had to leave him."
It’s worth noting that a rep for Packer dismisses these charges as being "simply untrue."
Packer himself has rarely spoken to the press.
He’s a private individual who made his cast fortune in the casino business and allegedly wanted no part in Mariah’s upcoming reality show.
We know that he gave Carey an engagement ring valued at around $10 million, but we don’t know a lot more about their romance. Both sides kept pretty quiet about things.
"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," yet another source tells People Magazine.
That’s three typically reliable outlets, all reporting the same general thing about Packer.
Because he’s unaccustomed to dealing with the press and because Carey is a seasoned veteran in this area, it may very well be an organized smear campaign on her part.
Or there may be truth to the assertions over Packer’s mental state.
According to a source close to the billionaire businessman, 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."
Fans will need to choose the side they believe, but one thing seems certain:
As Taylor Swift might say, these two are never getting back together. Like, EVER.