Mariah Carey is mourning the deaths of her mother, Patricia, and her sister, Alison, who passed away on the same day.
The music icon shared the sad news via a statement on Monday (August 26, 2024). She shared that the two passed away last weekend without revealing their cause of death. “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,” Mariah Carey said in a statement to PEOPLE.
“I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed,” she continues. “I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time.”
Mariah did not share any further details about her mother and sister’s death, but in 2020 she briefly opened up about her relationship with both in her memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. She labeled her relationship with her mother, “a prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration and disappointment.” Despite their relationship, the “We Belong Together” singer dedicated her memoir to her mother.
Patricia was married to Mariah Carey’s father, Alfred Roy Carey, between 1960-1973. The couple had three children, Mariah, Alison, and Morgan Carey, before their divorce in when Mariah was three years old. Alfred, who passed away in 2002 at age 72, was an African American aeronautical engineer but wasn’t heavily involved in the singer’s childhood. Patricia was a trained opera singer and vocal coach.
Mariah also spoke about her strained relationships with her sister Alison and brother Morgan. She stated that at the time it was “emotionally and physically safer” for her not to have any form of contact with them. She didn’t divulge the details about their estranged relationship.
It’s unclear if Mariah Carey and her brother have since made amends. However, both are mourning the death of their beloved mother and sister.
