Mariah Carey says her 'heart is broken' after her mother and sister die on same day

27 August 2024, 13:28

It's an unimaginable loss.

In a statement made to Billboard on Monday 26th August, Mariah Carey confirmed that both her mother and sister have died on the same day in a "tragic turn of events".

The singer said that both deaths took place over the weekend, but has not further elaborated on the events that caused their passing yet.

"My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend," Carey said in the statement.

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"Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day. I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed.

"I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time."

Mariah’s mother Patricia died aged 87, while her sister Alison was just 63 years of age.

Patricia's life comes to an end after years of difficulty in regards to her relationship with her superstar daughter.

The 'All I Want For Christmas' singer has been candid about the struggles she shared with her mother throughout their lives.

In her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, Mariah wrote: "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.

"A complicated love tethers my heart to my mother’s," she expressed, though the book also included a dedication to her mum.

"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."

Equally, Mariah shared a shaky relationship with her sister Alison too as she revealed in the same memoir.

She wrote that it was "emotionally and physically safer for me not to have any contact" with her or their brother Morgan.

The deaths of her mother and sister come at a time when fans have expressed their concern about Mariah, based on her outburst on stage.

During her recent Last Vegas residency - titled The Celebration of Mimi - Mariah appeared to get emotional whilst singing her 1991 hit 'Make It Happen'.

Fans took to social media to say she was "crying" throughout the "uncomfortable" performance, though it's not known whether or not her visible distress was related to her family situation.