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Singer Mariah Carey has shared the heartbreaking news of a family tragedy, revealing that both her mother, Patricia, and her sister, Alison, passed away on the same day.
In a statement released on Monday, Carey expressed her grief: “My heart is broken that I lost my mother this past weekend. Tragically, my sister also passed away on the same day.”
Carey expressed gratitude for the time she was able to spend with her mother, who had been living in an assisted care facility in Florida for several years. Her sister Alison's death occurred in New York state, according to local reports.
“I appreciate everyone’s love, support, and respect for my privacy during this impossible time,” Carey said. The news of the deaths of both women was first reported by People magazine.
The pop superstar did not disclose the causes of their deaths. Patricia Carey was 87, according to public records.
Alison Carey passed away at age 63 in hospice care in Greene County, N.Y., south of Albany, as reported by the Times Union. David Baker, a friend of Alison's who assisted her with housing and benefits, stated that her death followed complications with her organ functions. Alison had reportedly struggled with substance abuse issues.
Carey, 55, has spoken about her complex relationships with her family, describing her early life as a period of recurring instability. She has connected her past challenges to the very public emotional struggles she faced despite her soaring career.
“My tolerance level for dysfunction is so high because I grew up in a very dysfunctional environment,” Carey told NPR in 2006.
While Carey maintained a relationship with her mother, including a Christmas medley they performed together in 2010 and time spent with Carey’s young children, she was reportedly estranged from her sister. Alison had sued Carey over allegations related to the singer’s 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey.
In her memoir, Carey described her mother as neglectful, noting how Patricia, who was white, exacerbated her childhood insecurities in various ways, including neglecting her biracial daughter’s hair. Despite this, Carey acknowledged her mother’s positive influence, crediting her—an accomplished former opera singer trained at Juilliard—with encouraging her to pursue singing and develop her talent.
Carey also alleged in her memoir that her older sister repeatedly placed her in dangerous situations, including giving her drugs when she was just 12.
Reports indicate that Carey’s mother moved to a senior living facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., in 2020. The following year, Carey sold the house in Westchester County, N.Y., which she had purchased for her mother in the 1990s.