Over the weekend, singer Mariah Carey faced a heartbreaking double tragedy, losing both her mother, Patricia, and her sister, Alison, on the same day.
In a statement to People, the 55-year-old Grammy winner expressed her deep sorrow: “My heart is shattered by the loss of my mother this weekend. Tragically, my sister also passed away on the same day.”
Mariah went on to share her gratitude for having spent her mother’s final week by her side. “I am grateful for the time we had together in her last days,” she added.
“I appreciate the outpouring of love and support during this incredibly difficult time and ask for privacy as I navigate this loss.”
Details surrounding the deaths of Patricia and Alison have not been disclosed at this time, leaving many questions unanswered.
Patricia Carey, who was once married to Alfred Roy Carey, pursued a successful career as a Juilliard- trained opera singer and vocal coach before they welcomed their three children: Alison, Mariah, and Morgan. The couple eventually divorced when Mariah was just three years old, shaping the early years of the future pop icon.
Mariah’s relationship with her mother was marked by both love and complexity, a theme she explored in her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey.
In the book, she described their bond as “a prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration, and disappointment,” acknowledging the nuanced emotions that defined their connection.
Despite the challenges, Mariah remained connected to her mother over the years. They shared a special moment in 2010 during ABC’s Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to You, where they performed a mother-daughter duet.
Mariah also dedicated a part of her memoir to Patricia, stating, “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.”
The relationship with her sister Alison, however, was more distant, with Mariah noting in her memoir that it was “emotionally and physically safer” for her to maintain distance from both Alison and their brother Morgan at the time.
