Mariah Carey Lost Her Mother and Sister on the Same Day

Throughout singer Mariah Carey's long career, her time in the spotlight has been muddled with various family drama. She's talked openly about her relationship with her mother, Patricia, her brother, Morgan, and her sister, Alison, noting in her memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey that she's had to put distance between them over the years.

On Aug. 26, 2024, news broke that Mariah lost both her mother and her sister on the same day, marking a double tragedy for the singer. She released a statement about their passing, but what was the cause of her mother and sister's death?

Unfortunately, the exact cause of death of Mariah's mom and sister isn't public at this time, though the singer acknowledged their passing in a public statement released on Aug. 26.

"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," she said, per TMZ. "I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed."

Mariah had previously described her relationship with her mother as a "prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration, and disappointment," per her memoir, saying that their relationship “has caused me so much pain and confusion.”

Ultimately, though, the singer dedicated part of her memoir to her mom, acknowledging her love and attempts at being a mother.

Though Mariah and Patricia ultimately made amends before Patricia's passing, the singer's relationship with Alison was much more fraught. Mariah's "ex-sister" pursued legal action over the claims in her memoir, and it's not clear what their relationship was like at the time of Alison's passing.

Mariah ended the statement on their passing with, "I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time."