Losing a loved one can create a deep, painful emptiness in your life. Mariah Carey recently shared that she experienced this heartache in a profound way. Over the past weekend, she lost both her mother, Patricia Carey, and her sister, Alison Carey, on the same day.
Mariah Carey expressed her grief in a statement, saying, “My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend.” She added, “Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day.”
Despite the immense pain, Mariah felt grateful for the time she had with her mother before she passed away. She said, “I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed.”
Mariah Carey had complicated relationships with both her mother and sister for much of her life. She and her sister, Alison, had been estranged for years, and by the time Alison passed away, they hadn’t been in touch for a long time.
In her memoir, *The Meaning of Mariah Carey*, Mariah talked openly about their troubled relationship. She described Alison as her “ex-sister” and said it was “emotionally and physically safer for me not to have any contact” with her siblings.
Alison, who was eight years older than Mariah, had a troubled life and made many poor choices. Mariah revealed that Alison had hurt her emotionally and physically during their childhood, which contributed to their strained relationship later in life.
In 2021, Alison filed a lawsuit against Mariah, seeking $1.25 million in damages. Alison claimed that Mariah’s decision to share personal details about their childhood was “heartless” and “vindictive.”
Alison, who had been diagnosed with HIV in the 1990s, saw her health decline in recent years and spent her final days in hospice care. A friend of Alison said that her death was expected due to complications with her organ function.
Mariah was not with Alison during her last days, but Alison did get to spend time with some of her children, who she hadn’t seen in years. “She was thrilled to see them,” said the friend.
Our thoughts are with Mariah Carey during this incredibly difficult time. Losing both her mother and sister on the same day is unimaginable.