Mariah Carey recounts the tragic final moments of her mother, who died on the same day as her sister

Mariah Carey spoke about her mother's final moments after revealing that she lost her mother on the same day her sister died.

The 55-year-old pop star confirmed in a statement on Monday (August 26) that her mother and sister both died over the weekend, but the cause of death was not disclosed.

Describing her despair at the events, she told PEOPLE: “I am heartbroken to have lost my mother this past weekend.

“Unfortunately, my sister lost her life that same day in a tragic turn of events.”

Carey's mother Patricia was a trained opera singer and singing teacher and welcomed her children together with sound engineer Alfred Roy Carey.

The couple had three children in total, Alison, Mariah and a son named Morgan, but they divorced when Mariah was just three years old.

Patricia was 87 when she died, while Carey's sister Alison was 63.

In her statement, Carey gave insight into her mother's final days and revealed that she spent them with her daughter by her side.

“I feel blessed to have been able to spend the last week with my mother before she passed away,” she said, adding, “I am grateful for everyone's love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time.”

Carey has previously spoken openly about her complicated relationship with her mother and sister.

In her 2020 memoir, The meaning of Mariah CareyThe singer admitted that her relationship with her mother had caused her “pain and confusion” over the years.

Carey spent her mother's final days with her. (Mark Von Holden/Billboard via Getty Images)

She spoke of professional jealousy between the two and said: “When the person is your mother and the jealousy comes to the surface at such a tender age, it is particularly painful.”

However, Carey also wrote in the book that she believed her mother “did her best.”

As for her sister, Carey said she had become estranged from both her and her brother, claiming it was “emotionally and physically safer” for her to cut ties.

According to Dave Baker, a close friend of Alison, Carey’s sister received home hospice care for the last three weeks of her life due to a “problem with [her] internal organs'.

Dave told The US Sun that Alison has a “tough shell” on the outside but is a “highly intelligent, warm and sensitive person” on the inside.

“I have known her for nine years and as her friend and, in her final months, her carer, I will miss her very much,” he continued.

“Farewell, Alison. May you now find peace and may your tormented soul be forever free from earthly pain.”

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