Legendary singer Mariah Carey is mourning the devastating loss of her mother Patricia and sister Alison, who both passed away on the same day over the weekend.
In a statement released on Monday, Carey expressed her heartbreak over the tragic turn of events. “My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend,” the five-time Grammy winner said. “Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day.”
Patricia Carey, an 87-year-old former opera singer and vocal coach of Irish-American descent, was described by her famous daughter as a complex figure in her life. In her 2020 memoir “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” the singer detailed a complicated relationship with her mother, marked by professional jealousy and “painful” experiences from a young age.
However, Carey also spoke of the deep love she had for Patricia, writing in the dedication: “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.”
The 55-year-old singer also shared that her relationship with her older sister Alison, 63, was equally complex. In her memoir, Carey wrote of being estranged from Alison and her brother Morgan, stating that it was “emotionally and physically safer” to have no contact with them.
Alison had previously sued Carey for $1.2 million following the release of the memoir, citing “immense emotional distress” and calling the book “vindictive.”
No further details were provided about the causes of death for either Patricia or Alison.
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Carey asked for privacy during this difficult time, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to spend time with her mother in the week before her passing. The singer’s father, Alfred, passed away in 2002 from cancer at the age of 72.
Despite the personal tragedies, Mariah Carey remains one of the most successful recording artists of all time. She holds the record for the most Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles by a solo artist, with 19 songs, and has sold over 220 million records worldwide.
