Mariah Carey has announced the heartbreaking news that both her mother, Patricia, and her sister, Alison, passed away on the same day over the weekend.
The iconic singer expressed her grief in a statement released on Monday, saying, “My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day.”
Carey, known for her powerful vocals and emotional performances, shared that she felt fortunate to have spent time with her mother in the week leading up to her death.
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She requested privacy during this difficult time but did not disclose further details about the causes of their deaths.
Patricia Carey, 87, was a former opera singer and vocal coach of Irish-American descent. Despite their complicated relationship, which Mariah detailed in her 2020 memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey, the singer acknowledged the deep love she had for her mother.
In her memoir, Carey described the pain and confusion stemming from their relationship, citing professional jealousy as a significant factor. She noted that while such feelings can accompany success, it is particularly hurtful when they come from one’s mother.
Despite these challenges, Carey expressed her belief that her mother did the best she could and vowed to love her “the best I can, always.”
In a 2022 interview with Gayle King, Carey discussed the lasting impact of her mother’s criticism during her upbringing, yet credited her mother with fostering her early exposure to music.
Alison Carey, 63, had been in hospice care prior to her death, according to a friend who spoke with the Times Union, a newspaper based in New York State. The friend did not specify the cause of death. Mariah Carey had a strained relationship with her sister, as well as with her brother, Morgan.
In her memoir, she revealed that it was “emotionally and physically safer” for her to distance herself from both siblings. Following the memoir’s release, Alison sued Mariah for $1.2 million, accusing her of causing “immense emotional distress” and calling the book “vindictive.”
The tragic loss of both her mother and sister on the same day adds to the singer’s history of personal challenges.
Mariah Carey, who lost her father, Alfred, to cancer in 2002, has often drawn from her personal struggles in her music.
Despite these hardships, Mariah Carey remains one of the most successful and influential artists in the world.
Her holiday anthem “All I Want For Christmas Is You” holds the title of the best-selling Christmas song by a female artist, and she continues to dominate the music industry with a record 19 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, over 220 million records sold globally, and a stint as a judge on American Idol.
