Those readers unfortunate enough to have experienced the loss of a loved one will know all too well the dark, seemingly never-ending hole it tears in the fabric of your existence.
Spare a thought, then, for Mariah Carey, who earlier this week revealed that she had lost both her mother, Patricia Carey, and sister, Alison Carey, on the same day this past weekend.
The Grammy award-winning artist revealed the news in a statement, describing her heartbreak at the tragic turn of events. “My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend,” Carey shared, as per PEOPLE.
“Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day.”
I should go without saying that experiencing such profound loss is a virtually incomparable experience, though Carey did express her gratitude at getting to spend time with her mother before her passing.
“I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed,” the All I Want For Christmas singer said.
According to reports, Carey’s relationships with both her mother and sister were complicated for much of her life. She and Alison had been estranged for years, and by the time of the latter’s passing, it had been a long time since the two sisters had connected.
In her memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, the superstar singer candidly discussed the breakdown of their relations, going so far as to describe her sibling as her “ex-sister”. Within the pages of the book, Carey wrote that it was “emotionally and physically safer for me not to have any contact” with her siblings.
Indeed Alison, eight years older than Mariah, had reportedly lived a troubled life characterized by poor choices. Mariah revealed in her memoir that Alison had repeatedly hurt her, both emotionally and physically, during their childhood and beyond, laying the foundation for their icy relationship in later life.
Following the numerous claims made by Mariah against Alison in The Meaning of Mariah Carey, the older sister filed a lawsuit in 2021, further widening the rift between them.
Alison sought $1.25 million in damages, alleging that her younger sister’s decision to publicly share personal details of their childhood was “heartless” and “vindictive.”
Sadly, Alison, who was diagnosed with HIV in the 1990s, saw a decline in her health in recent years, and spent her final days in hospice care. A friend of Alison named David Baker blamed complications with her organ function her for death, revealing that her passing was anticipated.
“We knew it was coming,” Baker shared.
Mariah was not present during Alison’s final days, though the elder Carey did spend time with some of her children who she had not seen in years.
“She was thrilled to see them,” Baker said.
