The singer revealed on Monday that both her mother, Patricia (87) and sister Alison (63) passed away over the weekend.
A complete shock
Embed from Getty ImagesCarey, 55, revealed exclusively to People that she lost both women on the same day. “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,” she told the outlet.
She added she was “blessed” to spend time with her mom
Embed from Getty Images“I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed,” she told People. “I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time.”
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Carey’s mother had quite the legacy
Embed from Getty ImagesShe was previously married to Alfred Roy Carey, an Afro-Venezuelan aeronautical engineer. The two wed in 1960 and had 3 children – of which Carey is the youngest – before divorcing in 1973.
Patricia was an accomplished vocalist herself
A Juilliard-trained opera singer, Patricia later became a vocal coach and even sang alongside Carey. The two appeared in a duet during a Christmas special on ABC, as shown above.
Carey said her relationship with her mother was complicated.
Embed from Getty ImagesPatricia had full custody of Carey and her siblings after divorcing the trio’s father. She said her relationship with her mother during her childhood “has caused me so much pain and confusion.”
She wrote candidly about it her her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey
Embed from Getty Images“Our relationship is a prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration and disappointment,” she wrote. “A complicated love tethers my heart to my mother’s.”
Her relationship with sister Alison was not without its issues.
Embed from Getty ImagesShe shared in her memoir that she and her sister are estranged. “For my sanity and peace of mind, my therapist encouraged me to literally rename and reframe my family. My mother became Pat to me, Morgan my ex-brother and Alison my ex-sister […] I had to stop expecting them to one day miraculously become the mommy, big brother and big sister I fantasized about.”
She added it was “emotionally and physically safer for me not to have any contact” with Alison or brother Morgan.
Alison filed a lawsuit against the singer in 2021
Embed from Getty ImagesAlison filed the lawsuit with the New York Country Supreme Court for $1.25 million. The suit said Carey “callously dismisses plaintiff as her ‘ex’ sister. But instead of saying no more than that, defendant used her book to humiliate and embarrass plaintiff as stories about the memoir appeared in newspapers around the world, on TV and across the Internet, most of them with headlines repeating defendant’s allegations — all of them published without giving plaintiff any opportunity to respond.”
However, Mariah dedicated her memoir to her mother
Embed from Getty ImagesIn the same book where she revealed their struggles, she said: “And to Pat, my mother, who, through it all, I do believe actually did the best she could. I will love you the best I can, always.”
There is currently no stated cause of death for either woman.
