Mariah Carey Confirms Her Mom Patricia and Sister Alison Both Died on Same Day: 'My Heart Is Broken' (Exclusive)

Updated on August 27, 2024 10:29PM EDT

Mariah Carey shared her heartbreak with PEOPLE, stating, “My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend. Tragically, my sister also passed away on the same day.” The 55-year-old Grammy-winning singer expressed her gratitude for the time she spent with her mother in her final days, saying, “I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed.” She also extended her appreciation for the support and respect for her privacy during this difficult time.

At this moment, there are no further details available about the causes of Patricia and Alison’s deaths. Patricia Carey, who was previously married to Alfred Roy Carey, was a Juilliard-trained opera singer and vocal coach. She, along with Mariah, Alison, and their brother Morgan, was part of a family that faced significant changes after her divorce from Alfred when Mariah was just three years old.

Mariah’s relationship with her mother was complex, and her mother’s influence on her vocal talents was significant.

In her 2020 memoir, *The Meaning of Mariah Carey*, Mariah reflected on her relationship with her mother, saying, “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.” She described their relationship as a complex mix of “pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration and disappointment,” noting that “a complicated love tethers my heart to my mother.”

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Despite their challenges, Mariah Carey maintained a connection with her mother, Patricia. In 2010, they reunited for a special moment on ABC’s *Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to You*, where they performed a heartfelt mother-daughter duet of "O Come All Ye Faithful/Hallelujah Chorus."

Mariah also dedicated a part of her memoir to Patricia, writing, “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.”

Mariah’s relationship with her sister Alison was similarly complex. In her memoir, she mentioned that it was, at least at that time, “emotionally and physically safer for me not to have any contact” with Alison or their brother, Morgan.