Grammy-winning singer Mariah Carey announced the passing of her mother, Patricia, and sister, Alison, who both died on the same day, The Guardian reports.
Carey shared the news on Monday, expressing her profound grief over the loss.
“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,” she said.
The singer revealed that she felt fortunate to have been able to spend the last week with her mother before her passing and expressed gratitude for the support and privacy during this difficult time. Details surrounding the circumstances of their deaths have not yet been disclosed.
Patricia Carey was an accomplished opera singer and was previously married to Alfred Roy Carey, Mariah’s father. The couple divorced when Mariah was just three years old.
In her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, the singer candidly discussed her complicated relationships with both her mother and sister. Carey described her relationship with her mother as a “prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration, and disappointment,” revealing the mixed emotions that tethered her to her mother. Regarding her sister, Carey said that it was at times “emotionally and physically safer” for her not to maintain contact.
Despite their ups and downs, Mariah and her mother remained connected, even collaborating on a duet of “O Come All Ye Faithful/Hallelujah Chorus” for Mariah’s second Christmas album in 2010.
Fans and fellow artists have rallied around Carey, offering their condolences and support.
