Mariah Carey 'quits Virgin for £35m'

Mariah Carey's lawyers have reportedly agreed a deal for her to quit the Virgin record label.

She is said to be in line for a £35m golden handshake in return.

The star will become a free agent under the deal, according to reports.

Carey currently has a £70m, five-album contract with Virgin, which is owned by EMI.

She signed the record-breaking deal last year.

Ending the contract would mean she will be paid for just nine months of work.

Carey left her previous label, Sony, after a fall-out with her ex-husband Tommy Mottola, president of the firm's music entertainment division.

Her latest album Glitter sold just two million copies in the US, a relative flop for a singer who has had two albums pass the 10 million mark in America. The film of the same name took only £3m at the box office.

It was released in America just weeks after she checked into a hospital in New York to be treated for what was described as a "breakdown."

Carey's spokeswoman said: "I don't know. I have not been able to reach Mariah's attorneys."