Mariah Carey recently revealed that her mother, Patricia, and sister, Alison, died, both on the same day. “I appreciate everyone’s love, support, and respect for my privacy during this impossible time,” Carey said of her loyal and supportive fans.
In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, the Grammy-winning singer said the following:
“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.” She continued, “I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed.”
No other details, including Patricia and Alison’s causes of death, are known at this time. Although Carey’s relationship with her mother has been strained over time due to her turbulent childhood and upbringing, she credits her with the reason she has her vocal talents in the first place and decided to dedicate a portion of her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, to her.
“And to Pat, my mother, who, through it all, I do believe actually did the best she could,” she wrote. “I will love you the best I can, always.”
“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 emotions. Our relationship is a prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration, and disappointment,” Carey continued in the book. “A complicated love tethers my heart to my mother’s.”
The star also has had a complicated relationship with her older sister, Alison, and her brother, Morgan, but unfortunately, things couldn’t be reconciled before her sister’s death. We’re praying for Carey and her family during this difficult time.
