Mariah Carey mourns tragic loss of mother Patricia and sister Alison on same day
Photo: Reuters
Mariah Carey's mother, Patricia, and sister, Alison, both passed away on the same day over the weekend.
In an exclusive statement, the 55-year-old Grammy-winning singer expressed her heartbreak, saying, "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 shared that she feels blessed to have spent the last week with her mother before she passed and appreciates the love, support, and respect for her privacy during this difficult time.
Details about the causes of death for Patricia and Alison have not been disclosed. Patricia, a Juilliard-trained opera singer and vocal coach, was previously married to Alfred Roy Carey, with whom she had three children: Alison, Mariah, and Morgan. Mariah's relationship with her mother, from whom she inherited her vocal talents, was complicated and full of mixed emotions. In her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, she described their relationship as a "prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration and disappointment."
Despite the complexities, Mariah maintained a relationship with her mother. In 2010, they performed a festive duet of "O Come All Ye Faithful/Hallelujah Chorus" on ABC's Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to You special. Mariah also dedicated part of her memoir to Patricia, acknowledging that she believed her mother did the best she could. Mariah's relationship with Alison was also strained, with the singer noting in her memoir that, at least at the time, it was "emotionally and physically safer" for her to have no contact with Alison or Morgan.