The pain of losing a loved one is excruciating but the pain of losing two on the same day is incomprehensible. Earlier today (Tuesday, 27th August), Pop-R&B icon Mariah Carey confirmed the tragic news that her mother, opera singer Patricia, and estranged older sister, Alison passed away on the same day over the weekend. They were 87 and 63, respectively.
In an exclusive statement provided to PEOPLE, the vocalist expressed that she is heartbroken to have lost both family members just moments apart. “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,” she added.
According to reports, the singer has yet to disclose her mother and sister’s cause of death. It is currently unknown if the two were suffering from an illness all this while. However, it was reported by Times Union that Alison Carey passed away at her home in Greene County, according to her friend and advocate David Baker.
Mariah, who inherited her mother’s singing talents, had a complicated relationship with the late opera singer growing up, as revealed in her 2020 memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey”. Despite their troubled relationship, the mother and daughter managed to reconcile and work out their differences. They even recorded and performed a duet together for the Grammy winner’s ABC Christmas Special broadcast back in 2010.
Unfortunately, prior to her sister’s death, Mariah could not manage to mend their relationship. It was once reported that Alison tried to sue her younger sister for USD$1.2 million (RM5,218,800) after the release of her memoir for “immense emotional distress”. The case is still unresolved. The singer’s brother Morgan is still alive and well but sadly, just like her late sister, the siblings haven’t been on the best of terms for years.
We offer our condolences to Mariah Carey and her family and may they have the strength to go through this difficult time. Let us pay tribute to her mother Patricia by enjoying her duet with the daughter:
Sources: PEOPLE, BBC, Times Union
