By Lucy Adautin
Mariah Carey has revealed that both her mother, Patricia, and her sister, Alison, passed away on the same day over the weekend.
In a recent statement, the singer expressed her grief: “My heart is shattered by the loss of my mother this past weekend. Tragically, my sister also passed away on the same day.”
Carey, a Grammy-winning artist, shared that she cherished the time spent with her mother, Patricia, who was 87 years old and had a background as an opera singer and vocal coach with Irish-American roots.
In her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, the singer discussed her complex relationship with her mother, explaining that it had caused her “immense pain and confusion.”
At 55, Carey reflected on how rivalry had strained their relationship. She noted that professional jealousy is often part of success, but when it comes from one’s mother and emerges at a young age, it is particularly heartbreaking.
Mariah Carey also expressed the profound love she had for her mother, writing in her memoir’s dedication: “To Pat, my mother, who, through it all, I truly believe did her best. I will love you the best I can, always.”
During a 2022 interview with Gayle King, Carey acknowledged that her mother’s criticism had “definitely” impacted her during her upbringing.
However, she credited her mother for introducing her to music, which played a significant role in her life.
Carey’s relationship with her older sister, Alison, 63, was similarly complicated.
In her memoir, Carey revealed that she had distanced herself from Alison and her brother, Morgan, as she found it “emotionally and physically safer for me to not have any contact.”
Following the memoir’s release, Alison sued Carey for $1.2 million (£909,780), claiming “immense emotional distress” and describing the content as “vindictive.”
Carey’s father, Alfred, passed away from cancer in 2002 at the age of 72.
Mariah Carey is celebrated as one of the most successful artists in the world.
Her holiday hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” remains the best-selling Christmas song by a female artist.
With 19 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100—a record for a solo artist—Carey has sold over 220 million records worldwide and even served as a judge on the competition show American Idol.
