Mariah Carey mourns the tragic loss of her mother Patricia and her sister Alison on the same day

Mariah Carey's mother Patricia and sister Alison both died on the same day this weekend.

In an exclusive statement, the 55-year-old Grammy winner expressed her grief: “I am heartbroken to have lost my mother this past weekend. Unfortunately, in a tragic turn of events, my sister also passed away on the same day.” Mariah shared that she feels blessed to have spent the last week before her death with her mother and that she appreciates the love, support and respect for her privacy during this difficult time.

Details of Patricia and Alison's causes of death have not been disclosed. Patricia, a Juilliard-trained opera singer and voice coach, was previously married to Alfred Roy Carey, with whom she had three children: Alison, Mariah and Morgan. Mariah's relationship with her mother, from whom she inherited her singing talent, was complicated and full of mixed emotions. In her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, she described their relationship as “a prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration and disappointment.”

Despite these difficulties, Mariah maintained a relationship with her mother. In 2010, they sang a festive duet of “O Come All Ye Faithful/Hallelujah Chorus” on the ABC special Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to You. Mariah also dedicated a portion of her memoir to Patricia, admitting that she believed her mother did her best. Mariah's relationship with Alison was also strained. The singer noted in her memoir that, at least at the time, it was “emotionally and physically safer” for her to have no contact with Alison or Morgan.