Mariah Carey experienced a devastating loss over the weekend. Both her mom, Patricia Carey, and her sister, Alison Carey, have passed away from unexplained circumstances. "My heart is broken that I lost my mother this past weekend,” she said in a statement shared by PEOPLE on Monday (Aug. 26). “Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day. I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time."
Patricia, a Juilliard-trained opera singer and vocal coach, played a significant role in Mariah's life. The R&B and pop icon dedicated her 2020 book, "The Meaning of Mariah Carey," to her mother and twins Monroe and Moroccan Cannon. "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,” the message read.
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Patricia described how she moved to an "affluent" part of Long Island, NY in the hopes of providing her children with a better life. Unfortunately, they were met with much of the opposite. "One of our dogs was poisoned," she explained. "We had a bow window in the front of the house, and when we were eating one night, or I was clearing the table, someone shot through the window. Luckily, none of the children were in the room."
Alison, who was said to have faced her own struggles, tragically passed away at the age of 63 in Greene County, NY. The New York Times reported that, in the aforementioned memoir, Mariah revealed a history of abuse at the hands of her sister, including drugging, physical violence, and attempts to “sell her to a pimp.” The singer ultimately chose to cut off contact with her siblings to protect herself “emotionally and physically.”