Mariah Carey Breaks Silence After Her Mom and Sister Died on the Same Day: 'It's Been a Couple of Rough Weeks'

Mariah Carey lost mother Patricia and sister Alison on the same day in August.

By Anna Rumer

Mariah Carey is feeling the love following the tragic death of her mother and sister on the same day. The Grammy winner, 55, took to Instagram on Sunday, Sept. 8 to update fans as she continues to grieve the loss of mom Patricia Hickey and sister Alison Carey last month.

"Back at work," she captioned a video of herself in a black gown singing "It's Like That" to piano accompaniment. "It's been a couple of rough weeks, but I appreciate everyone's love and support so much and I can't wait to see my fans in China & Brazil. Love you!"

Carey's post marked her first public statement since her familial 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," the "Always Be My Baby" singer said in a statement on Aug. 26. "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."

The "Emotions" singer had previously shared in her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah, that her relationships with her mother and sister Alison were particularly strained. "Like many aspects of my life, my journey with my mother has been full of contradictions and competing realities," she wrote in her book. "It's never been only black-and-white-it's been a whole rainbow of emotions."

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The Late Late Show with James Corden
(Photo:

Mariah Carey performs ÒAll I Want For Christmas is YouÓ from her 25th Anniversary album reissue of Merry Christmas during The Late Late Show with James Corden, on Thursday, December 19, 2019.

- CBS Photo Archive)

Carey wrote that having a Juilliard-trained opera singer and vocal coach as a mother was difficult for her as a talented performer. "Having people you love be jealous of you professionally comes with the territory of success," she wrote, "but when the person is your mother and the jealousy is revealed at such a tender age, it's particularly painful."

Carey also claimed that when she was 12 years old, her sister "drugged me with Valium, offered me a pinky nail full of cocaine, inflicted me with third-degree burns, and tried to sell me out to a pimp." It was a traumatic time for the "We Belong Together" artist, who wrote, "I am still struggling through that time." 

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