Iconic American singer Mariah Carey has revealed that her mum Patricia and sister, Alison, both tragically died over the past weekend.
On August 26, 2024, the singer expressed her sadness in a statement to People Magazine, saying, “My heart is broken that I lost my mother this past weekend. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day. I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed.”
Though Carey did not reveal the causes of their deaths, she requested privacy from the public.
“I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time,” she added.
Carey did not have the best relationship with her mother, as revealed in her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, where she described it as a “prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration, and disappointment.”
She also wrote, “Like many aspects of my life, my journey with my mother has been full of contradictions and competing realities. It’s never been only black-and-white — it’s been a whole rainbow of emotion.”
Patricia, who was previously married to Alfred Roy Carey, was a Juilliard-trained opera singer and vocal coach before the couple welcomed Alison, Mariah and her son Morgan. The parents later divorced when the singer was 3 years old.
Carey’s fans have since taken to her Instagram comment sections, sending in their condolences and wishing her well in this trying period.